


Kayia's Kunoichi Life

by ThePrincessDragon



Category: Naruto
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, F/M, Gen, Japanese Terminology, M/M, Minor mentions of other fandoms, Multi, Naru knows about Kyuubi, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slight Sakura bashing, Slowmance, fem!naruto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-07 07:46:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4255137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePrincessDragon/pseuds/ThePrincessDragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A girl from our world, who has nothing and no one to tie her down, gets transported to the Naruto world, where she finds herself not only in a younger body than before, but training to be a Ninja. What crazy adventures will she have? Loosely follows the anime and the manga.</p><p> </p><p>WARNINGS; Sort-of-but-not-quite paedophilia, it has to do with the de-aging thing. Don’t like yuri, aka girl x girl? Meh, it’ll most likely only be a Jutsu. Don’t like het, aka boy x girl? Sorry, you’re in the wrong story, although it won’t be for quite some time yet. Don’t like yaoi, aka boy x boy? Sorry, but there's going to be at least one yaoi side pairing.  Also, there is a high probability for swearing and spoiling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introducing myself

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer; I don't own anything from the Naruto fandom. Only my OC and the changes that you'll see.

 

Of course I have read plenty of Reader-, Self-, and OC-Inserts. What Self-Proclaimed FanFiction-Addict wouldn’t have? I’ve read stories of 10th Walkers in the _Lord of the Rings_ fandom. Extra members in Team Ichigo, Seireitei or Hueco Mundo. One or more people from our or similar worlds that would end up in Hobbiton at the start of the Quest for Erebor. And there have been plenty of stories in which a character from the movie, book, series or show would get a sibling, or even a twin. Most often, these Inserts were female. Sometimes this would annoy me. Sometimes it would seem perfectly understandable.

Sometimes, when watching series or movies or reading books, I’d think what I would do differently, or say in what situation, or if a character did or said something stupid I’d imagine myself smacking them on the back of their head and making a snarky comment or two… But can you blame me for never actually thinking I’d star into one of those stories myself..? And I suppose this could be considered ‘breaking the fourth wall’ but I personally think that I’m not strong enough to break it, merely to bend it. I can just vaguely make out the lay-out of AO3, and while I suppose _someone_ is reading this right now… I cannot see him/her/it/them right now. Just… sort of… sense them? Ack, I’m confusing myself, never mind!

Ahum. Anyway. My name is… was… Kayla Peterson. I was twenty years old, and had lost my father when I was seven. My mother succumbed to her illness two years prior to, as I refer to it, _The Incident_. She had been sick for years, and needed me to take care of her and the household. Because of this, I barely had enough me-time to focus on my schooling, and none at all to maintain friendships. My father’s family wanted nothing to do with us after he died, possibly because there is no blood relation between us and them. In case that statement confuses you, I was adopted as an infant. Mother had been an orphan as well, but unlike me, she was stuck in the system until she came of age, with no family to speak of. So after her passing, I was alone in the world when _The Incident_ took place.

 The day when _The Incident_ took place was nothing special. It was a Sunday afternoon, and I was just strolling through the streets with no goal, no destination in mind. Just walking. I passed block after block, all kinds of stores, restaurants, cafeteria, a cinema… I paused for various red lights and crossed streets during many more green ones. I was lost to the world, hands clasped in my hoodie pocket, the hood drawn up to hide my pigment-less head from the sun. Sunglasses on my nose to protect my eyes from the glare reflected on many windows. Ear buds cancelling out the city noise with songs from various bands including, but not limited to, _Abney Park_ , _Disturbed_ , _Poets of the Fall_ , and _Amon Amarth_.  
Eventually, I came across something odd. A temple, in the middle of the city. Seeing it made me pause, and look at it curiously. Eventually I just shrugged, before reaching up to take the buds out of my ear, while simultaneously reaching down into my jeans pocket to turn off my music player. I then strolled through the open gates towards the front door of the temple. Stepping inside, I took off my sunglasses and put them into my pocket, swiping my hood off of my pale hair. Looking around I could see several pews, as well as religious symbols from all kinds of religions. A statue of Maria and baby Jesus. A stained glass window of Mohammed and a revelation of the Koran. An Ankh symbol on the top of a scroll filled with hieroglyphs. A mosaic of Ganesha. And many more symbolisms I didn’t know the name or origins of.  
I sat down on one of the pews, turning my gaze towards the ceiling. On it were paintings of various mythological creatures. I spotted a Western and an Eastern style Dragon, a Phoenix, a Sphinx, an Alicorn, a Pegasus, a Unicorn, a Basilisk, a Wyvern, a Nundu, a Cerberus, a Chimera, and many, many more creatures I couldn’t even _begin_ to name. Eventually, my eyes were drawn to a large fox with several tails, standing in a crouch near several other beings with multiple tails. However, something about the fox kept drawing my gaze to it.

“Kyuubi.” A voice said, startling me from my practically non-existent thoughts. Looking to my right, I saw a man dressed in simple robes sitting down beside me. He, too, was looking at the ceiling.

“E-excuse me, sir..?” I ask, clearing my throat briefly. The man turned his head to look at me with a small, serene smile. His brown eyes met my own, red stained pink ones.

“It was known as the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The Nine-Tailed Fox.” The man said, still with that smile, before turning his gaze back towards the painted ceiling. “It was the youngest of the Tailed Beasts, but that does not mean it was weaker than the others.”

I could only stare at this man, who, judged by his clothes, worked in this temple. How had he known I was staring at the fox, or Kyuubi as he called it? How had he known I was curious for the creatures with several  tails? Why had he joined me on this pew in the first place?

When the man didn’t speak again, I returned my gaze towards the ceiling.  
“How did you-?” I asked, turning back to my side, only to see the man was gone. Startled, I looked all around me, seeing no one besides myself in the large, open space, yet I was sure I had only looked away for a few seconds. Certainly that’s not long enough for a full grown person to disappear from the middle of a room like this?

“Do you wish to know about them?” hearing his voice again, I startled while snapping my gaze towards the source of the sound. He was at a door opposite from the one I used to come in. He stood there, hands hidden in his sleeves, and presumably clasped together. Dumbly, I could only nod. His smile widened ever so slightly. “Then come, child. I will guide you there.”

Not sure what he meant, and not knowing how to ask, I just stood up from the pew and hesitantly walked towards the man. When I approached, he opened the door and gave me a nod, before preceding me through the frame. When I passed him into the stone hallway, I noticed that the necklace around his neck was similar to, but not quite, the sign of the Deadly Hallows, making me wonder if the man had read the Potter books.

After closing the door behind us, he started walking down the hallway. I hesitantly followed him as we passed wooden door after wooden door. Eventually he stopped in front of a dark, hard wood door, with a strange symbol branded into it. It mostly consisted of spiral, and had a tiny triangle attached to it at the lower left. Squinting, it kind of had the shape of a leaf.

“In here are the answers you seek, young one.” The man said, using a tiny silver key to open the door, before gesturing for me to enter. Doubting whether or not I should enter, I bend my neck to look inside, seeing only a couple vague shapes in the darkness. Turning around to question the man who had guided me here, I once again find myself alone.

Taking a deep breath to steel myself, I stepped over the threshold and into the dark room. After all… what did I have but an empty flat and a minimum wage job at the taco bell? Absolutely nothing. If this turned out to be a trap… well… better me than some poor girl with loved ones and a bright future ahead of her.

At first, nothing happened, and I took another cautious step into the room. The tension had just started to seep out of my shoulders when the door slammed shut behind me, causing me to jump and whirl around with a start. Several medieval-looking wall torches sprang to life as suddenly as the door had shut, revealing a room that reminded me of the shop of that shady candy salesman from the Bleach series. Or at least, I _think_ he’s a candy salesman, other than being (ex)Shinigami.  
Meh.  
Continuing my evaluation of the room, on the wall opposite to the door, was what I assumed to be a shrine. I cannot remember what it depicted, just that when I looked at it, the eyes (which I had assumed to be wooden) snapped open, revealing two burning pits. A high pitched sound, a mixture between a chuckle and a giggle, reached my ears as a row of sharp fangs appeared beneath the narrowing eyes. Fire and shadows seemed to burst from the shrine thingummy, engulfing the room before reaching for me. I remember screaming in fear as the dark fire licked at my skin. Yet, I felt no pain. It was warm, but it did not burn. It was bright and dark, yet did not blind. It was loud, yet did not deafen me. It was confusing to the extreme, and from a wild fire seemingly turned into a tornado. Then everything went dark and I lost my consciousness.

I don’t know how much time passed, but eventually I woke up in confusion. No longer was I in that strange room in the temple, I was lying face down on grass. I could hear a gentle river flowing nearby, as well as the rustling of a soft breeze through tree leaves. With a groan, and quite some difficulties, I pushed myself up. Only when I was seated on my knees did I, to my immense confusion, realize my hoodie and jeans were _way_ oversized. I managed to pull my sleeves and pant legs up enough for me to stumble and crawl towards the river, which was mere feet away from where I woke up, and proceeded to lean down on the shore in order to see my reflection.

My skin was pale, but not as see-through as I was expecting to see. My face, which had lengthened and sharpened and lost all traces of baby fat over the years, was once more rounded with chubby cheeks. My snow-white hair no longer reached my jawline, but now brushed my shoulders, further hinting at how my body had somehow shrunk. My eyes, instead of the red-stained pink I both hated and loved, were as dark and bright and purely red as a pair of rubies.  
In short, the reflection I was seeing was _not_ what I am used to. At least my reflection reacted the same way as I’m used to. ‘We’ blinked at the same time, plopped our mouth at the same time,  poked our chubby cheek at the same time and with the same, tiny hand. Not the slender hand I was used to since my teen years, but the chubby ones from when I was a kid.  
Then, the face on the water and I screamed.

**_KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!_ **


	2. Silent Promise

**AN: Hello readers, and welcome back! Dragon is glad to see you enjoyed the first chapter enough to return for a second one~! Dragon just wants tell everyone that, from now on, Dragon will explain/translate the non-English terminology being used in this story at the end of each chapter, whether they have been explained in the story or not. Also, Dragon does not own _NARUTO,_ or any _NARUTO_ related objects, to Dragons displeasure.**

**__ **

**_ Previously; _ **

**__ **

_In short, the reflection I was seeing was_ not _what I am used to. At least my reflection reacted the same way as I’m used to. ‘We’ blinked at the same time, plopped our mouth at the same time,  poked our chubby cheek at the same time and with the same, tiny hand. Not the slender hand I was used to since my teen years, but the chubby ones from when I was a kid.  
_ _Then, the face on the water and I screamed._

**KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**

****

* * *

 

 

I clumsily scrambled back from the water, before allowing myself to fall backwards onto my back. I winced as my head hit the hard, tightly packed dirt, but I didn’t let that deter me as my hands flew all over my person, checking my pockets and possessions.  
Eventually I concluded that, while yes, I _had_ shrunk and my appearance _had_ changed, I still had the same items with me that I left home with. Namely, the hoodie, jeans, underwear and slippers I had put on, my ID, my front door keys, my sunglasses and my music player. The ring infant me had been found with was still on its chain around my neck. Other than that, nothing seemed to be missing, for that was all I had with me when I left my apartment. In fact, there was an addition. My small black speaker had somehow found its way into my pocket as well.

I was just starting to calm from my panic, when I heard footsteps approaching me from behind, causing me to sit up and whirl around in fright, frantically scrambling to keep my jeans around my hips. Standing several feet away, is an elderly man wearing a red kimono, a white haori and a red hat with a white veil. His dark eyes regarded me curiously.

“What is a small girl such as yourself doing all the way out here, child?” he asked, not unkindly, before looking around some. “Where are your parents or guardians?”

“Muh-my parents are dead… sir… I don’t know how I got here… last I remember was being in a temple of sorts… then there was… I dunno… some kind of… fire shadow stuff thingummy… and then I woke up here, personally smaller than I was, but with my clothes still being the same size they were before I somehow got tiny… I’m confused…” I didn’t even consider that the man might think me a nutcase until _after_ everything poured out of my mouth, and even then, something inside me made me dismiss that thought. Instinct, maybe? I gave a mental shrug and decided to go with the flow.

“I see.” The man said with a slow nod of his head. “I am Sarutobi Hiruzen. What is your name, little one?”

“Uhm… Before I answer that… which is your given name, and which is your family name? Cuz… uhm… no offence, but… your appearance reminds me of a manga character…” I said, feeling a slight blush rise up to my cheeks as I mentioned reading manga. Most people back home are under the utter misconception that manga are the Japanese variant of comics like Donald Duck, and thus see any who read manga as childish. However, instead of laughing or scoffing at me, the man gave me a kind smile, an amused twinkle appearing in his eyes.

“Sarutobi is the name of my family, Hiruzen is the name I was given by my father.” The old man explained, while approaching me in a non-hostile, almost grandfatherly way. When he was about six feet away, he lowered himself to sit down on the grass.

“In that case… back home I would have introduced myself as Kayla Peterson, but since here family names come first, I guess it’s Peterson Kayla.” I explain with a firm nod directed at myself.

“That is quite an… unusual name. What does it mean?” the old man asked me. I shrug.

“Back where I come from, some centuries ago people would have a given name, and their father’s name, for example; first generation would be called Jack, second would be called Peter Jackson, third would be called Adam Peterson. Eventually someone decided that wouldn’t cut it anymore, and had people tell him the name they and their offspring would carry, so he could document it and stuff. One of my paternal ancestors at that time was a Peterson, and that name has been passed on ever since.” I explain with a shrug, before tilting my head and lifting a finger to rest against my chin. “Though… I wouldn’t mind going by a different name during my stay here…”

“And what would that name be, little one?” the old man asks, taking a pipe out of… somewhere on his outfit, and lighting it up.

“Hmmm…” my eyes narrow slightly as I think it over. I shouldn’t just pick a totally new name at random. So, instead of Kayla, I’ll go with Kaiya, which, at least to my ears, is more Asian sounding. As for last names, several anime characters flashed through my mind that I discarded just as quickly. Until my mind paused on the thought of a certain black cat.

“I… From now on, I’d like to be Shihoin Kayia. Does that sound more like a name from these parts? And speaking of that… Where exactly are we, Sarutobi-san?” I ask, adding the suffix that should indicate respect, usually towards someone older than yourself. Or was it of higher ranking? Or maybe just respect or politeness in general?

Meh. Whatever.

“That name sounds fine, and right now we are in one of Konohagakure no Sato’s many forests.” The man answered, causing my eyebrows to rise. While I had never read or watched anything from the _NARUTO_ franchise myself, I have read the synopsis before, after I overheard people talking about it. If I remember correctly, it’s about a Ninja village, and in particular a boy that was either part or full Demon. Kinda like _Ao no Exorcist_ , which is about the half-Human, half-Demon son of Satan, but with more… well… _ninja_.

“I…see…” I say, before letting out a loud sigh that makes me drop my shoulders and furrow my eyebrows. “Uhm… Sarutobi-san… How old would you guess me to be? I mean, before all of… _this_ … happened, I was, like, three months away from my twenty-first birthday, and big enough to fit these clothes that, as you can obviously see, are way too big for the body I have now.”

“You are twenty?” the man asked with raised eyebrows. “If I were to make a guess, I’d say you look like you are four, five, maybe six years old.”

“… that’s around the age I was before everything changed…” I mumble softly, touching my right shoulder where I had a scar from the accident that took my father from me. For a moment, panic struck me as I realized the drastic changes my appearance had gone through, causing me to practically rip my hoodie down my shoulder. I sighed in relief when I saw the old, ragged scar.

Call me weird, but instead of seeing them as ugly disfigurements, I’ve always viewed scars as signs of strength, as marks of survival. When I see a scar, especially the bigger ones, to me, it just screams ‘ ** _DEATH AIN’T TAKEN ME YET, BITCHES!_** ’ so I was glad to see my scar had come to this new place with me, instead of staying back where I came from, wherever the hell that may be in relation to my current whereabouts.

“May I ask how you got that scar, Shihoin-san?” the old man asks, a concerned frown on his aged face. He even lowered his pipe! I’m pretty sure that’s an anime no-no, unless drastic things happen.

“Ah… Sure… uhm… When I was about to turn seven, there was an accident. This scar is a reminder to me of how my father saved my life that day, for if he hadn’t shoved me aside when he did, the metal pole that sliced my shoulder would have pierced my throat instead. However, doing that had rendered him unable to dodge the vehicle that ended up crushing him. His lasts words were ‘ _I love_ ’ before death took him.” I explain, slowly tracing the thick scar before pulling up my hoodie to cover my shoulder once more. “Sometimes I have tremors in my right hand because of the damage to my muscle tissue, but I’m left handed anyway, so it doesn’t hinder me.”

“I am very sorry to hear that, Shihoin-san. Your father sounds like he was an honourable man.” Sarutobi tells me, tugging slightly on the brim of his hat.

“Thank you. He was always helping others, so I guess he was. He also thought me to live in the here and now, and to never to give up and always try my best, especially when it comes to the important things in life.” I say with a smile, before once more looking at the man across me with curiosity in my gaze.

“Konohagakure no Sato… It’s a Ninja village, right?” I ask. At the man’s confirmation, I continue. “Would it be alright if I learn how to be a Ninja then? Well… after I get some more size-appropriate clothes, that is…” I finish with a blush, rubbing the back of my neck, causing Sarutobi-san to chuckle.

“Yes, that would be fine, little one. I will guide you to a clothing store and pay for what you need, before guiding you to the Shinobi Academy.” He says, rising to his feet.

“Arigatou, Sarutobi-san! I really appreciate your kindness.” I said, rolling up my pant legs before standing up as well, holding my jeans up by the hips.

“It is no trouble, Shihoin-san.” The man said as he started to guide me into the village I would soon be considering my home.

_‘I promise you this, Lady Yoruichi… I will bring honour to your name by becoming a Kunoichi of Konohagakure no Sato!’_ I thought as I followed after the man I was already starting to respect.

 

Elsewhere, in a different universe, a dark-skinned Shinigami-turned-cat sneezed while watching her two human apprentices shout in the middle of an abandoned warehouse.

 

* * *

 

 

**AN: Dragon now happily presents the translations/explanations as Dragon promised, in order of appearance. The sources Dragon used are**

[ **http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia** ](http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia)

[ **http://dictionary.reference.com/** ](http://dictionary.reference.com/)

[ **http://virtualmekton.tripod.com/ate-iii-iv.html** ](http://virtualmekton.tripod.com/ate-iii-iv.html)

[ **http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Bleach_Wiki** ](http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Bleach_Wiki)

 

**_Kimono                 - a loose sashed ankle-length garment with wide sleeves, worn in Japan_ **

**_Haori                    - a loose, knee-length, Japanese garment resembling a coat._ **

**_-san                     - Mr., Ms., Mrs., Miss.; The suffix denoting that the person being spoken to is of equal or nearly equal social status.  It is not used for people you know well. The explanation in the chapter itself is the way Kaiya understood/remembered it being used from watching subbed anime, which does not guarantee accuracy._ **

**_Konohagakure no Sato- Village Hidden in the Leaves/ Hidden Leaf Village/ Village Hidden by Tree Leaves._ **

**_Arigatou               - Thank you._ **

**_Shinobi                 - Other word for Ninja. The way Dragon understands it, Shinobi is the male form, while Kunoichi is the female form, with Ninja being applicable to both males and females. Dragon has seen them being used interchangeably, but will aim to use them in more gender specific ways._ **

**_Shinigami             - Soul Reaper/ Death God_ **

****

**AN 2: No, this won’t be an actual Bleach crossover. Dragon just found it funny to put in the reference at the end. As for this and future references to other shows, there have been times where Kayla chose to relax with an anime or manga instead of doing homework, simply because of all the stress taking care of her permanently ill mother brought with it. Said mother liked watching cartoons in order to forget the bad stuff happening with/around her so those can be referenced as well.**

**Now, to make things clear: Dragon is not saying it’s a good think to neglect your schooling, because it isn’t. But too much stress is bad for your health, and everyone should take the time to unwind every now and then.**

Kayia; +raises an eyebrow+ “Why do you refer to yourself in third person, anyway?”

Dragon; +gasps+ “Because if Dragon said I and Me like Kayia does, than Readers wouldn’t know if they are listening to Dragon or Kayia! Dragon is smart!”

Kayia; +rolls her eyes+ “Yes, yes, you’re smart, I get it. Still though, won’t they just, you know, get it that it’s you since these are the Author’s Notes? And not the Protagonist’s Notes? Besides, I tell the story, and You do the notes.

Dragon; “W-well, yes, but, no, but, wait… Ack! Dragon is Dragon, and Kayia is I and Me!”  >.<  +flaps paws around+

Kayia;  (-_-)   +sighs+

Lillian; “I know, you’ll get used to it though.”

Dragon; +points a claw at Lillian, shouts+ “What is Lillian doing here?! Lillian isn’t in this story!”

Lillian; +rolls eyes+ “I know I’m not in the story, and this is in your head, remember? Why are you in that form anyway? You’re more human than I am, you know.”

Dragon; +pouts+ “Dragon doesn’t like being human. Dragon wants to be a Ditto.”

Kayia; “Yeah, yeah, let’s just wrap things up already, we’ve kept the Readers long enough.”

Dragon; +cheers up+ “Dragon thanks you for reading! Dragon hopes you enjoyed the chapter and return for the next one!” +waves+


	3. Making friends

**_ Previously; _ **

**__ **

‘I promise you this, Lady Yoruichi… I will bring honour to your name by becoming a Kunoichi of Konohagakure!’ _I thought as I followed after the man I was already starting to respect._

_Elsewhere, in a different universe, a dark-skinned Shinigami-turned-cat sneezed while watching her two human apprentices shout in the middle of an abandoned warehouse._

 

* * *

 

 

True to his word, Sarutobi-san had paid for my clothes; a couple dark blue pants of a soft fabric, a pair of blue, toe-less sandals, several shirts and tank tops in various shades of blue, and a dark grey jacket, as well as several pieces of underwear, to my embarrassment and his… well… to be honest, I wasn’t sure whether he was amused or discomforted during that last bit. He also got me a backpack and several items he claimed as necessities for becoming a Ninja.  
After our shopping was completed, he guided me through the quaint little village, towards one of, if not the, largest buildings in Konohagakure no Sato. The Shinobi Academy. Once we reached it, he held the door open for me before guiding me through several hallways, eventually pausing in front of a white door to give me a reassuring smile. He then opened the sliding door and stepped inside. 

“Ah! Hokage-sama! To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?” a man, presumably the teacher, called out almost immediately. He had dark hair up in a pineapple shaped ponytail, tan skin, and a scar running horizontally over his nose. His dark eyes held a certain kindness to them. 

“Oh, nothing bad, Umino-san. I merely have a new student for you that will be joining this class from now on. Come on inside and introduce yourself, little one. You can start by writing down your name on the board.” Sarutobi-san advised while looking at me through the open door. Shyly, I did so, not making eye contact with anyone already in the classroom. I hurriedly grabbed a piece of chalk and wrote down my new name in all caps, ‘SHIHOIN KAYIA’, before turning around to face the class, instantly feeling my cheeks burn up in a blush. I’ve never been good with crowds.

“U-uhm, h-hello. I-I am Shihoin K-Kayia. It’s a p-pleasure to muh-meet you!” I rushed out, giving a slight bow while clasping my hands together in front of my new pants.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kayia-chan. I will be your Sensei, Umino Iruka. I do not recognize the characters you used to write your name. Are you familiar with Kana?” the teacher asks curiously.

“Oh, uhm, well, I’ve… heard of it… but… I’ve never learned it…” I reply, nibbling my bottom lip slightly, not making any form of eye contact with the man. “It works with s-syllables, right? I’m used to uhm... Romanji… which works with individual letters…”

“I see… You’ll have to ask for help from your neighbours for now after you sit down, but I’ll be teaching you both Katakana and Hiragana after class is over, if that’s alright with you?” the teacher asks, glancing at both myself and Sarutobi-san.

“Thank you, Umino-san!” I say, giving the tanned man a smile, earning a kind one in return, as well as a ‘please just call me Iruka-Sensei.’.

“Seeing how that’s settled, if you would be so kind to bring Shihoin-chan to my office after you’re done here, Umino-san, it would be much appreciated.” Sarutobi-san says.

“Understood, Hokage-sama.” Iruka-Sensei says, giving the older man a bow. Sarutobi-san smiles a grandfatherly smile at us, before turning around and leaving the classroom. The teacher than turns to me. “Why don’t you go and pick a seat, Kayia-chan?” he says kindly.

“Yes sir!” I say chirpily, turning to move to the nearest empty seat, ending up sharing a three-man-desk with a pale skinned boy with dark eyes and hair on the opposite end, and a blond boy with bright blue eyes and three scars on each of his cheeks sitting in-between us.

“Hi! I’m Uzumaki Naruto!” the blond says enthusiastically, with a large grin on his face.

“Shihoin Kayia. Nice to meet you, Uzumaki-kun.” I reply with a shy smile, not quite looking at the orange-clad boy. I put down my backpack and took out a notepad and a pencil Sarutobi-san had been kind enough to buy for me.

The time passed quick enough, with me taking notes from whatever Iruka-Sensei explained at the front of the class, or from what I overheard the other students whispering around me. I quickly learned that the boy sitting next to me, who insisted I call him Naruto, was a loud, and bubbly character, as well as alone, just like I have been these past two years. I made a silent resolve to try and befriend the boy, whose eyes held a well-hidden loneliness and sadness. Both of which I knew all too well, having seen them staring back at me every time I looked into a mirror.  
After class was done, pretty much everyone but Iruka-Sensei and myself left the class. Only Naruto chose to remain behind, only to sheepishly admit that he could barely read himself once everybody else had left. Iruka-Sensei took it in stride and sat down in between us before teaching us Katakana for the next hour. I dutifully took notes and asked questions wherever I needed clarification. The blue eyed blond asked more questions, including a seemingly unrelated ‘Will you treat us to ramen, Iruka-Sensei?’ at a rather loud volume. Surprisingly, the scar-nosed teacher agreed, saying he’d take us to ‘Ichiraku’ after I had met with Sarutobi-san.

As promised, Iruka-Sensei brought me to the old man’s office, which surprisingly was in the same building as the classroom we’d left, making me wonder if perhaps Hokage meant principal. In short, the meeting, which both males were allowed to attend, was about making living arrangements for my stay in Konohagakure. It was solved quickly when Naruto-kun loudly offered me a place in his apartment, to which I agreed, figuring it would help me on my way to befriending the blond.

The old man, upon hearing our plans, decided to join us on our quest for food and soon we walked through the narrow streets, aiming for a small food stand. It was my first time eating ramen.

I loved it from the first bite.

After we finished eating, Sarutobi-san parted ways with us, mumbling something about paperwork. Iruka-Sensei walked us to Naruto-kun’s apartment building before leaving as well, with a wave and a promise to teach us how to read some more tomorrow. Naruto led me to his apartment with a smile on his face and his hands behind his head, rambling about various things. I was surprised to notice he opened his front door without even taking out a key, meaning he hadn’t locked the door when he had left home earlier today. He paused by the door after closing it as I took my first steps inside. I smiled as I looked around the blonde’s (rather small) apartment. Placing my bag down on the ground, I turned around my axis with a giggle.

“I like it! Thank you for letting me stay here with you, Naruto-kun!” I say happily, giving the boy a bright smile. However, upon seeing his sombre and slightly uncertain (or perhaps even fearful?) expression, I give him a worried frown. “Is something the matter, Naruto-kun?”

“Can I trust you?” he asks me, causing my worry to evaporate and an understanding smile to grace my lips.

“Trust me? Sure! But what are you asking that for? I can cook pretty well and haven't poisoned anyone yet, if that's what you're thinking, nor do I plan to poison anyone in the future. And if I do something, anything at all, that makes you feel uncomfortable, please don't hesitate to tell me! I promise I'll do something about it.” I tell the blonde with a firm nod.

“...Can I trust you with a secret?” he asks, still solemn.

“Absolutely! The only secrets I ever indulge to others are the ones the secret sharers have allowed me to share, and even then I only share said secrets with the people the original secret sharers allows me to share their secrets with.” I tell the boy, formerly my junior, now my peer.

“So... what you're saying is... you'll keep my secret for me?” he asks, purely uncertain now. Hence why I take his hands in mine before hooking our pinkies together in a Pinkie Swear.

“I, Shihoin Kayia, hereby solemnly swear that whatever secrets you, Uzumaki Naruto, decide to share with me and trust me with, shall remain secrets until the day I die, or you yourself release me from this oath. So it is sworn, so mote it be!” letting go of the stunned boy's hands, I perform a ritual I've learned from watching a certain brightly coloured TV show with my bed-ridden mother.

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Seeing his bewildered expression, I smile and start to explain.

“The thing I did where I hooked our fingers is called a Pinkie Swear. To break a Pinkie Swear is to discard and never regain the other person's trust. I then swore an oath to you, which would mean losing my honour, dignity, and credibility if I were to break said oath. And lastly, I made you a Pinkie Pie Promise. It's from an on-going series back where I come from, and basically, you don't break a Pinkie Pie Promise. Ever.” I tell my (hopefully) new friend the significance of my promise to him with as serious (but not unkind) a voice as I can muster, never allowing the small smile to leave my face.

“...Thank you, Kayia-chan...” he says, voice and eyes filled to the brim with emotion, before he closes his eyes and shakes his head in order to (re-?)gain control over said emotion. “My secret... well... The thing is...” he tried to start a couple times before taking a deep breath, visibly steeling himself before starting over, this time with determination filling his expression. “So far, I think only Sandaime-JiiJii knows my secret, and while I know Iruka-Sensei suspects  _something_ , I don't know if he suspects my  _real_  secret. And... well... having you live with me will be easier if I don't have to worry about keeping my secret a secret from you...” he mumbles, looking around while rubbing the back of his neck, a faint frown on his face. It doesn’t suit him.

“Is it a bad secret? And if you don't feel ready to share it with me, please don't force yourself. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Naruto-kun.” I say, smiling kindly at the blond as I place my hand on his shoulder and give him a supportive and comforting squeeze. He returns my smile gratefully, takes a deep breath and opens his mouth.

 

“I'm actually a girl.”

 

* * *

 

 

**Sources;**

 

[ **http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia** ](http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia)

[ **http://virtualmekton.tripod.com/ate-iii-iv.html** ](http://virtualmekton.tripod.com/ate-iii-iv.html)

[ **https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/** ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/)

[ **https://translate.google.com/** ](https://translate.google.com/)

 

 

**_Hokage                 - Fire Shadow; leader of Konohagakure. Generally acknowledged as the strongest Ninja of the village._ **

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**_-sama                  - [formal] Mr., Ms., Mrs., Miss.  Infromal use before m b p is sam- or san-.; Very high respect.  Not normally used with other people's names, but it can be. Usually used with a title._ **

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**_-chan                   -_**   **_cute; baby talk.  Children who grow up together may keep using the -chan honorific into adulthood. For close friends and relatives, especially female ones._**

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**_-Sensei                 - Teacher._ **

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**_Kana                     - Collective name for three syllabic Japanese scripts; modern cursive Hiragana, modern angular Katakana, and the old syllabic use of Kanji know as Man’yougana._ **

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**_Romanji                - Technically it’s Japanese written in western characters. Dragon doesn’t know the official name for our alphabet, so Dragon decided on using Romanji instead. If it works, it works, right?_ **

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**_-kun                     - familiar title after name of colleague or student, usually male. Used for male friends and relatives. It can be used for women as well, but typically is not._ **

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**_Sandaime               - according to Google Translate, San means Three, and Sandaime means Third Generation._ **

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**_-JiiJii                    - Okay, so, here is Dragon’s reasoning for this one;  
_ ** **_Watching anime and stuff, Dragon has learned that ‘onii-san’ means brother, and often times a younger sibling calls their older brother ‘[insert name]-nii’. In various fanfictions Dragon has read, Naruto calls Tsunade ‘baabaa’. Obaa-san means grandmother, but can be used for older women in general. Ojii-san means grandfather, but can be used for older men in general. Combining that with the previous knowledge, Dragon concluded that Sarutobi-JiiJii basically means grandpa Sarutobi._ **

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Dragon: +bows+ “Please correct Dragon if you find a mistake! Grammar Nazis are welcome here!”

 

Kayia: +raises an eyebrow+ “I thought Nazis were a bad thing?”

 

Dragon: +bonks Kayia over the head+ “German Nazis were people who hurt other people, and therefore considered ‘bad’! Grammar Nazis are people who are very strict about grammar and who point out each and every mistake they find! Dragon needs their help!”

 

Kayia: +holds head protectively+ “Okay, okay, I get it! Now stop hitting me!”


	4. Revelations and Routines

**AN: Dragon thinks a spoiler warning should be made for this chapter… So be warned! Things will be spoiled about Naru’s parentage in this one!**

**Also, Dragon thinks apologies are in order… Dragon has waited a long time with updating, and Dragon wishes to apologize for that! +bows apologetically+ Much sorries to Miki523 and all the others that like Dragon’s story!**

* * *

 

**_ Previously; _ **

**_  
_**

_“So far, I think only Sandaime-JiiJii knows my secret, and while I know Iruka-Sensei suspects something, I don't know if he suspects my real secret. And... well... having you live with me will be easier if I don't have to worry about keeping my secret a secret from you...” he mumbles, looking around while rubbing the back of his neck, a faint frown on his face. It doesn’t suit him._

_“Is it a bad secret? And if you don't feel ready to share it with me, please don't force yourself. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Naruto-kun.” I say, smiling kindly at the blond as I place my on his shoulder and give him a supportive and comforting squeeze. He returns my smile gratefully, takes a deep breath and opens his mouth._

_“I'm actually a girl.”_

 

* * *

****

 

“Is that so? Well... may I ask why you're keeping that a secret? I mean, not that I disapprove or something! I’m just curious why you would hide your gender. And, well, since you’re keeping it a secret, well... Would you rather I call you kun or chan? I mean, boys can be called chan as well, right? And is Naruto your actual name, or your boy name? Sorry, am I asking too many things at once?” I blush as I notice I may have been rambling, though seeing the blonde’s grateful and relieved expression brings a shy smile to my face.

 

“My actual name is Namikaze Naruko. But... there are... people... who have tried to hurt me before... Not really because of who my father was, but because of who... or rather... what...  _I_  am... and they think that… I’m a… _disgrace_ to my father’s name… You see... the day I was born... something _really_ bad happened to this village... Like, really, really, _really_ bad….And my father gave up his life in order to stop the village from getting destroyed... But what he had to do... changed me... in a way that... made the villagers think I am a disaster waiting to happen… or rather… continue...” here, the bo- no, _girl_ , pauses to shake her head before continuing.

“Honestly, I wasn't supposed to know about it at all, but back when Sandaime-JiiJii still took care of me before I was capable of living on my own, I… found out about the law that was made that day, and, well, he explained everything to me... You see, six years ago, a Bijou attacked Konohagakure no Sato. The Kyuubi no Kitsune. My father, Namikaze Minato, fought the Kyuubi no Kitsune and sealed it in a new-born child whose umbilical cord had just been cut. I was the only new-born that week, not to mention **_that_** day. However, in order to perform the necessary seal, he had to summon the Shinigami, who took his life and ate his soul in payment for sealing the Kyuubi no Kitsune away. The villagers, and especially the Shinobi who fought that day, were forbidden by Sarutobi-JiiJii to ever speak of the fact that I am a Demon Container, or a Jinchuuriki.” Here, her expression once more filled with determination, as if she wanted to prove something.

“I am not the Demon. I am just the cage containing the Demon Fox. But...” and here her determination faltered once more. “The people refuse to see me as such... to them, I  _am_  the Kyuubi no Kitsune, given Human Form... They hate me, and have hurt me in the past... Sometimes, they still do... Hurt me, I mean... That's why I pretend to be a boy... And the reason why I took the name of my mother, Uzumaki Kushina, is because there has been an attempt on my life before... a maniac claimed that the hero Yondaime would never have a demon for a family, and wanted to cleanse away the so-called ‘stain on mighty Yondaime's name.’.”

 

“Oh... Naruko... I am  _so_  sorry you've had to live with such a burden!" I exclaim tearfully, engulfing the other girl in a tight embrace. "Don't worry, Naruko! I won't _ever_ intentionally hurt you! If you'll accept me, I will be your friend, now and forever! I swear I'll never abandon you!”

 

My heart clenches painfully as I feel her sob against my shoulder, her hands gripping the fabric covering the back of my shoulders. In response, I tighten my hold on her even more, as much as I can without it becoming painful, stroking her bright yellow hair with one hand, humming soothingly to her.

 

"...Is it okay if I call you Naru-Naru?" I whisper minutes later, when I feel her start to calm down. I can feel her nod against me in response, bringing a smile to both our faces.

 

 

It didn’t take long for me to settle into a routine. The apartment I shared with Naruko, while small, was big enough for the two of us. It had a living room/kitchen combo with a dining table and two chairs, a bathroom, and a single bedroom which used to hold one bed, a poster depicting the symbol I had seen on the door in temple (and have since learned is the ‘Leaf of Konoha’), which had gone through a minor change. The dresser had been shoved against the same wall as the bed, and against the opposite wall stood a second bed and dresser. Other than that, the only signs of a second inhabitant moving in were shown in the bathroom, in the form of a second set of hygiene products, and a couple musical instruments placed along the wall in the living room.

 

The first time I got inside, after our heart to heart, I noticed the apartment looked almost as if no one lived there. No pictures, no mess, no dishes… the only sign I found were Naruko’s unmade bed and well-kept plants. That first night we had shared the bed. The next day, it didn’t take long for me to learn that all the food Naruko knows how to prepare is instant ramen, so I have taken it upon myself to prepare our meals, as well as teach the blonde every now and then.

 

We did the dishes and the cleaning together, something which the girl did with a near permanent smile on her face, despite her grumbling. The first time we went to do groceries together, I was boggled by the animosity of the villagers towards my new roommate. Even after her story about the Kyuubi no Kitsune being sealed inside of her, I still wasn’t quite expecting this spiteful treatment. For despite having yet to get used to the inflation compared to back home, it was quite obvious that whatever they sold the cheery blonde was heavily overpriced.

When I asked her about it, she just shrugged and said it had always been that way. Steeling myself, I opted to go through the stores myself after that, even haggling with the salespeople to get heavy discounts to make up for all the money they stole from the blonde. I used the money I saved that first day to purchase the bed and dresser I call my own. Further savings have gone to aforementioned instruments. What can I say, I love music.

 

We travelled to and from the academy together, and would have gone to the library together (once Iruka-Sensei finished teaching us about Kana and Kanji, that is), had it not been for the people working there glaring at my blonde companion and literally tossing her out every time she tried to enter. That treatment made me lose the desire to go in there. In revenge, we’d followed them home at the end of the day and egged their homes. They have yet to find prove it was us. Not that they need any to point their fingers at us. Insert eye roll.

 

That’s another thing I learned about Naruko; she is a mayor prankster. She never does any permanent harm or damage with her pranks, she never does them with actual ill-intent, and she reserves her more outrageous pranks for those who have wronged her. No one is save from the smaller pranks. The sad thing is, had they been played by anyone else, I’m positive everyone would’ve laughed, including the ‘victim’. As it is, well, Naruko has to make sure she either goes unnoticed, or to run like a bat out of hell as soon as she’s done.

 

It wasn’t long after I decided to become her pranking apprentice, when she taught me her own Jutsu; the Oiroke no Jutsu. Basically, it changes Naruto from a short haired ‘boy’, to a curvaceous girl with two long pig tails. After showing it to me, she explained that while she made it seem like it was a variant of the Henge no Jutsu, it was actually an age-manipulating Jutsu, rather than a simple appearance-adjusting Jutsu.

When I first used it, I felt relieve wash over me when I was once more in my old body, except with the colouring from my new body. Speaking of, while not as dark as Naruko or Iruka-Sensei, for the first time in my life, I have been working up a tan. You have _no_ idea how good… no… how _liberating_ it feels to finally be able to walk in direct sunlight, without having to be paranoid about getting burned because of it.

 

Sometimes I sneak into the library to read more in-debt about the theories behind the academy taught techniques, and Chakra in general. Soon, I felt like I actually knew what the hell I was doing. During these studies, I also read about an exercise to practice Chakra control. Naturally, I copied it into my ever-present notepad before putting the scroll back on its shelf and going on a search for my friend. It didn’t take long before we were running up and falling down a pair of trees.

Okay, so, maybe the exercise was harder than I thought. Didn’t stop us from trying though. And try we did. Until we finally called it a day and dragged our bruised selves to our home, where Naruko helped me with making a simple chili con carne.

 

All in all, life was good.

 

* * *

 

 

**Sources;**

[ **http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia** ](http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia)

[ **https://translate.google.com** ](https://translate.google.com)

**_Bijou                                    - Tailed Beasts. Dragon has also seen it being translated as Tailed Ten before. Dragon finds both of equal believability._ **

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**_Kyuubi no Kitsune          - Nine-Tailed Fox_ **

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**_Jinchuuriki                         - Power of Human Sacrifice_ **

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**_Yondaime                          - According to Google Translate, Yon means four, and Yondaime means Fourth Generation._ **

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**_Jutsu                                    - Skills/Techniques; the arts Ninja utilize in battle._ **

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**_Oiroke no Jutsu                               - Sexy Technique. In the sub, it gets translated as Seduction Technique. Dragon personally prefers the latter. In the anime and manga it is a variation of the Henge no Jutsu. Here, as explained in the story, it is a standalone technique, combined with a hint of Henge in order to adjust the current outfit._ **

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**_Henge no Jutsu                               - Transformation Technique_ **

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Kayia: “That was quite a bit of monologuing at the top.”

 

Naru: “Yeah, no kidding… it made my throat all raspy.” +sighs+

 

Kyuubi: **“I wonder if I’ll be making an appearance soon.”**

 

Naru: +shrugs+ who knows? So far, the script doesn’t include your character much, except if someone else mentions you.

 

Kyuubi: +sighs, curls up, pouts+

 

Kayia: “Neh, Kyuubi-san… are you male or female?”

 

Kyuubi: +grumbles+ **“How am I supposed to know? That stupid author keeps changing its twisted mind ever other hour or so! Until that so-called ‘Dragon’ makes the final decision, I’m staying genderless!”**

Kayia; +shrugs+ “Fair enough.”

 

Dragon: +mumbles to self while bend over a desk in the corner+ “Hmmm… Maybe if I make Kyuubi male, I can incorporate that ship…”

 

Kyuubi: +shivers+ **“And it keeps talking about ‘kitlings’ and ‘ships’. I’m not one to be frightened, but that creature scares the crap out of me.”**

Dragon; +more mumbling+ “Then again, if I make it female…”

 

Kyuubi; +stands up abruptly+ **“That’s it. If anyone needs me, I’m hi- I mean, resting among those Pocket Monster creatures.”** +ran away safely+

 

Naru + Kayia: +blink, blinkblink+


	5. Testing, Testing, One, Two, Three

**_ Previously; _ **

**__ **

_Okay, so, maybe the exercise was harder than I thought. Didn’t stop us from trying though. And try we did. Until we finally called it a day and dragged our bruised selves to our home, where Naruko helped me with making a simple chili con carne._

_All in all, life was good._

* * *

And now, here we are. Six years later, laughing loudly as a pair of angry Chuunin chase us throughout Konoha. Over the rooftops, through the streets, across the buildings… I doubt we’ve left any part of the ninja village untouched during the chase.  
Why, you ask? Simple, Naruko and I have decided to… redecorate the Hokage Monument. Honestly, I don’t get why they’re so angry. It’s not like we put swear words on their stone foreheads. We just coloured them in. Of course, seeing how we lack any pictures of the previous Hokage, and no one has bothered to tell us how they looked, we had to think up the colour schemes ourselves for the Shodaime and the Nidaime. Thus, Shodaime got bright red hair, silver eyes, and cherry pink lips. Nidaime got pink hair, bright red eyes, and silver lips. Sandaime got grey hair and black eyes, just like he is now. We even added in his liver spots! Yondaime we gave yellow hair and blue eyes, as that’s how he was described by Sandaime-JiiJii.

“Oi, Naruto, Kayia! What have you done?!” one of the Chuunin shouts at us.

“You’re not going to get away with it anymore!” the other adds in, shaking his fist.

“Hah heh heh heh! Urusai, dattebayo!” Naruko shouts over her shoulder at them, clenching her can of yellow paint tightly as we run. Her orange jacket, wrapped around her waist, flaps wildly behind her. Part of me is surprised our chasers haven’t managed to grab one of the sleeves yet, dangling so tauntingly close in front of them. Come to think of it, same goes for my blue-green-dyed braid, waving through the air behind me. Rarely having cut my hair since arriving in Konohagakure no Sato, when released from its braid, my hair is capable of reaching down to my hips now.

“None of you can do that, now can you?” Naruko continues to taunt the Chuunin. I decide to throw in my own two cents.

“But we can! Because we’re awesome!” I shout at the top of my lungs, before laughing and whooping loudly as we jump from rooftop to rooftop. Eventually, Naruko did a quick movement with her facial muscles, pulling up her nose in a spilt second. The signal for ‘ _Done’_ or ‘ _Enough_ ’. In response, I pull my nasal muscles to the left, which means ‘ _Yes_ ’, ‘ _Agreed_ ’ or ‘ _Okay_ ’.

“Matte!” we vaguely hear one of the Chuunin shout as they unknowingly pass us. Chuckling softly, we lower the cloth and release the Kakuremino no Jutsu that made us fade out of sight against the background of a wooden fence.

“Too easy, dattebayo!” Naruko says in amusement, looking in the direction the Chuunin had gone. Snickering to myself, I can’t help but agree with her statement.

“OI, Naruto, Kayia!” a sudden shout from behind startles us, eliciting a yelp and a jump out of the both of us. Turning around our wide eyes meet the angry visage of none other than Iruka-Sensei. I couldn’t help but gulp. 

“W-what are you doing all of a sudden, dattebayo, Iruka-Sensei?!” Naruko exclaims.

“What are _you_ doing during class?” the tanned teacher asks in annoyance, pointing at us.

 

* * *

 

 

Not even fifteen minutes later, we find ourselves tied together, sitting on the floor at the front of the classroom. Iruka-Sensei stands in front of us, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Naruko glares up at him, while I look to my left at his desk. I can’t handle the disappointment in our teacher’s eyes. He’s one of only three adults who treat Naruko with any form of kindness. I guess, he’s the closest thing to family either one of us has, aside from each other.

“Listen, Naruto. You failed the last final exam and the exam before that. You shouldn’t be fooling around like that.” The kind but stern teacher says. In response, Naruko stuck up her nose. I gulp as I notice a vein appear on Iruka-Sensei’s temple. 

“WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A REVIEW TEST OF THE HENGE NO JUTSU!” the man exclaims loudly. “THOSE THAT HAVE ALREADY PASSED WILL HAVE TO LINE UP AS WELL!”

“Heeeeeh?!” 

Not long after, everyone is lined up. The first to go is a pink haired Kunoichi-wannabe.

“Haruno Sakura going!” she says loudly, as if it wasn’t clear enough by glancing at her hair alone. No one else has such a hid- I mean… _unique_ hair colour. The closest in our class is myself with the white, but my hair is currently dyed. “Henge!” the girl exclaims, and with a poof of smoke, she turns herself into a clone of our Sensei.

“Yosh!” Iruka-Sensei says, scribbling something on his notepad. Obviously, he approves. 

“I did it!” the pinkette exclaims, causing me and Naruko to discreetly give each other annoyed glances while the girl bounces up and down on the spot, before turning to the boy that would come after her. “Did you see that, Sasuke-kun?” 

“Next, Uchiha Sasuke.” It was as if our Sensei could sense the annoyance building from the three of us. Me and Naruko because the pinkette has an annoying voice (although Naruko expertly hid it by congratulating the pinkette in an utterly Naru _to_ fashion), and the Uchiha because… well… To be honest, I’m not sure if he dislikes his many fangirls, or just girls in general.

“Hai.” The black haired boy says, stepping forward as soon as the annoyance moved towards the end of the line. Without speaking, he, too, turns into a copy of Iruka-Sensei. After the Chuunin’s approval, he poofs back to himself and moves towards the end of the line without a sound.

“Next, Uzumaki Naruto and Shihoin Kayia.” Good. Iruka-Sensei has finally learned we don’t separate. Sharing a quick look and a swift grin, ignoring the annoyed whispers coming from the others waiting in the line, we step forward in unison. Gathering our Chakra around us, we put our hands in the Hitsuji Seal.

“Henge!” we say. What we thought (and thus what we did), however, was _not_ the Henge no Jutsu.

Naruko dropped her Naruto-Henge, and became an adult version of herself, with much longer hair split in two pigtails. She used her Chakra to turn her clothes into smoke to just barely hide her private parts from view.  
I, on the other hand, used Naruko’s Transformation Jutsu (or perhaps I should say _Aging_ , since it doesn’t really transform anything) in order to regain the size of my old body. And instead of standing naked, I had my Chakra turn my midnight blue tank top into a mini-kini top, and my royal purple knee-length shorts into a regular bikini bottom. In addition, my braid lengthened from mid-back, to mid-calf.

Feeling playful, we lean against each other and blow a kiss at our Sensei, winking at the same time. Seeing the scar-nosed man practically _launch_ over backwards from the force of his nosebleed has us cracking up, laughing loudly as we release our Chakra, turning back into our twelve year old selves. Neither of us thought of replacing Naruko’s semi-permanent Henge, but then again, she had put her baggy jacket back on when Iruka-Sensei first caught us, hiding her sprouting chest from view.

“How was _that_?!” she manages to exclaim through the laughter, her voice barely higher than that of her Naruto-Henge. If anyone noticed, they’d probably blame it on her laughter. “I call it the Oiroke no Jutsu!”

“YOU IDIOT! DON’T INVENT SUCH A STUPID JUTSU!” Iruka-Sensei shouts so loudly, his voice is all hoarse. I can barely suppress my giggles upon seeing the twin tissues shoved into his nostrils to try and stop the bleeding.

 

* * *

 

 

By the time school was out, Iruka-Sensei dragged us both to the Hokage Monument, forcing us to clean our mess. I neither like nor dislike cleaning, so it wasn’t that bad a punishment for me. Naruko, however… well… she preferred to do the minimal amount of cleaning necessary. She’d do her part in keeping our apartment clean, yes… But she always complained while doing so. Just like she is doing now. I can hear her muttering curses under her breath where she works on the right half of the Shodaime’s face. Or, left, when seen from the stone’s direction. Iruka-Sensei must’ve heard her too, for he called out he wouldn’t let us go until all the paint was gone.

“I don’t care!” Naruko shouts back, her eyes closed to slits. “It’s not like there’s anyone waiting for us, anyway! Hmph!” while her grumbling has stopped, her scrubbing became a bit more vicious instead. I sigh and focus on my own half that I have to clean. 

“Naruto…” the tan skinned man’s voice is… softer this time. Almost hesitant? Or maybe understanding? Hmmm… Guess Iruka-Sensei has left the building, and Iruka the Kind has made an appearance!

“What is it now?” Naruko grumbles, sending a glare to the top of the Shodaime’s head, where our Sensei is seated. Curious, I look up myself as well. 

“Maa, nanda…” he starts, before reaching up to scratch at his scar. “If you clean all that up, I’ll treat you two to some ramen tonight.”

“ALL RIGHT!” Naruko shouts out, causing both me and Iruka-Sensei to give her startled looks, having not expected the sudden loudness. “I’LL DO MY BEST THEN!”

I can’t help but chuckle as she suddenly continues washing the stone face with twice the energy she had before. Not wanting to be outdone, I pick up my own pace as well. Where earlier I thought we wouldn’t be done till around midnight, with our new speed, we made it just as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. As promised, Iruka-Sensei brought us towards the best ramen place in the village; Ichiraku Ramen. We sat on either side of him and placed our orders. Soon, three steaming bowls of deliciousness were placed on the counter in front of us. Naruko put down her green goggles while we said our Itadakimasu. Having gotten matching yellow goggles when we first went shopping together, I decided to leave mine in my forehead, not feeling bothered by them at all.

“Naruto, Kayia…” Iruka-Sensei starts, after taking the first bite of ramen. “Why did you vandalize such a place? You both know who the Hokage are, right?”

“O’ cou’se we do. They’we ouw weawews.” I say around my own mouthful of delicious food. No matter how many times I try to make ramen, it never turns out even _half_ as good as this. Naruko, having already finished the solid parts of the meal, lifts up her bowl to slurp the broth, before putting the empty bowl back down with a satisfied sigh. She then turns her head to look up at our Sensei.

“Basically those who get the Hokage title… are the strongest Ninja of the village, right?” she asks before continuing. “And among them is the fourth Hokage, a hero who saved the village from the Bakegitsune.” 

“Then why did you…?” the scar-nosed man sitting between us asks, obviously confused.

“I’m going to receive the Hokage title one day, and then I will surpass all the previous Hokage!” Naruko exclaims enthusiastically. While at first she had started saying that to go with her Naruto persona, recently she confessed to me that over time, she has grown to really want to fulfil that dream. Not just as her fake self, but as her parent’s daughter. She wants to take care of the village she calls home, and protect it and everyone within it. 

“As for myself… well… I’ve heard it’s lonely at the top, so I plan to be by Naru-Naru’s side, every step of the way. That way, my bestie won’t ever get lonely!” I say with the same enthusiasm. And I didn’t just say that. I meant it. Naruko knows that. She expressed her gratitude by buying me a beautifully crafted violin from a travelling merchant, made of a red kind of wood. It has been my most treasured possession ever since. 

“By the way, Sensei, I have a little request.” Naruko says sweetly, clasping her hands together while turning on her stool in order to fully face the man in between us. Amusement fills me as I realize just why she removed her goggles earlier.

“You want another bowl?” Iruka-Sensei asks.

“Hmmm, Iie! Can I borrow that Konoha Hitai-ate?” Naruko asks, still just as sweetly as before.

“Oh, this?” Iruka-Sensei asks, adjusting the metal plaque on his forehead with a smile. “Dameedamee. This is proof you graduated and that you’re a real ninja.” His expression then went from nice teacher, to kind sibling. “You’ll probably get one tomorrow.”

“Meany!” Naruko exclaims, going into full on pouting mode. I chuckle silently before softly ordering a second bowl of ramen from the nice man that runs the place while Iruka-Sensei laughs.

“Is that why you took your goggles off?” he says, voice still laced with laughter.

“Okawari!” Naruko shouts out. Iruka-Sensei lets out a choke-like shout, while I happily sip the bowl that was just delivered to me.

Yeah, life’s good.

 

* * *

 

**Sources:**

[ **http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia** ](http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia)

[ **http://nl.urbandictionary.com/** ](http://nl.urbandictionary.com/)

[ **https://translate.google.com/** ](https://translate.google.com/)

[ **http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130912073828/naruto/images/thumb/a/a7/Hand.png/500px-Hand.png** ](http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130912073828/naruto/images/thumb/a/a7/Hand.png/500px-Hand.png) **Note that you see the hands as if the person is standing in front of you, not as if you’re looking at a mirror.**

 

**_Shodaime and Nidaime, are the first and second Hokage respectfully. Their names were Senju Hashirama, and Senju Tobirama, with the former being the latter’s older brother._ **

****

**_Urusai – Pesky/Annoying/Shut up. Dragon has also seen it being translated as ‘Too loud’_ **

****

**_Dattebayo – Gibberish, comparable to a pirate’s ‘Aaargh!’,_ ** _ * see bottom of page for a larger/better/more informative  explanation. _

****

**_Matte – wait_ **

****

**_Kakuromino no Jutsu – Concealment/Disguise Technique_ **

****

**_Henge (no Jutsu) – Transformation (Technique)_ **

****

**_Yosh – Enthusiastic affirmative_ **

****

**_Hitsuji - Ram_ **

****

**_Oiroke no Jutsu – Seduction Technique_ **

****

**_Maa, nanda - okay, Dragon admits, Dragon doesn't_ ** **actually _know what it means (Dragon is guessing something along the lines of 'well, you see' or something), but Dragon heard Iruka say this in the anime... or at least, something that_ sounds _like this…_ QwQ**

****

**_Itadakimasu – something the Japanese say before they eat their meal, similar to the French saying bon appétit_ **

****

**_Bakegitsune – monster fox_ **

****

**_Iie - No._ **

****

**_Hitai-ate - forehead protector_ **

****

**_Dameedamee - no clue if I spelled it right... but it's what Iruka said, and in the subs it only said 'No.’, which Dragon thinks feels insufficient, but is unable to elaborate on._ **

****

**_Okawari - According to the subs, it means 'I want another bowl!'. According to Google Translate this means 'refill'.  Frankly, in this case, Dragon is  more inclined to believe GT than subs._ **

****

_ * When searching for the meaning of Naruto’s catchphrase, Dragon came across this bit of info; _

Directly derived from an actual interview with the creator himself, Masashi Kishimoto.   
(Quote)   
\- Is Naruto's favorite phrase, "dattebayo" modeled on anything?   
  
K: That isn't really modeled on anything either. When I thought of childlike   
speech, "dattebayo" instantly came to mind. It's like it's become a part of   
Naruto, and even now it brings out his "mischievousness".   
(End quote) 

__

_ As well as; _

A phrase said by Naruto form the hit anime.   
Mistakenly translated as believe it, to a speaker of Japanese, this word is gibberish, but it's made up of suffixes and prefixes that basically define Naruto as a hillbilly   
  
Da translates to a very informal "to be"   
-tte is an rural and uncommon version of -to, meaning "like that" or "in that case"   
-ba is an older conditional ending, like "if, then it could"   
-yo is an informal word meaning "I tell you" and comes off as arrogant.   
  
Basically it translates (nonsensically) to "If in that case, it could be, I tell you!"   
When Naruto says this, any Japanese person sees him as a know-it-all fool.

_Naruto says "Dattebayo" or "(verb root)-ttebayo" meaning (nonsensically) "If in that case, it could be, I tell you!" (dattebayo) or "If in that case, I could (verb action), I tell you!" ({verb root}-ttebayo)_

_ Both explanations, as well as the one used in the list, come from _ _  
_ [ **http://nl.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dattebayo** ](http://nl.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dattebayo)

****

****

Dragon: +holds head at an angle like a curious puppy, frowns down at page+

 

Kayia: +sighs, walks over, crosses arms+ “Okay, you’ve been doing that for hours, what the heck is wrong now?”

 

Dragon: “Dragon doesn’t know… if Dragon should keep these two chapters separate… or make them one…” +turns head onto opposite angle+

 

Kayia: +tosses arms up+ “That’s _it_?! And here I was thinking you couldn’t get the flow right in a particular scene or something!”

 

Dragon: +gasps, looks at kayia as if she betrayed her+ “B-but! This is important! Even more so than a single scene! Dragon doesn’t know how to continue!”

 

Kayia: +grumbles, pushes Dragon out of the way, grabs mouse, copy pastes, posts chapter steps back, gestures at her handiwork+ “There, I fixed it. Now get on with typing up the new chapter, okay?!” +walks away, grumbling to herself+

 

Dragon: +gapes at screen, before turning around+ “H-hey! Kayia-chan! Wait up!” +follows after the albino+

 

* * *

 

  

**_ Previously: _ **

_“Meany!” Naruko exclaims, going into full on pouting mode. I chuckle silently before softly ordering a second bowl of ramen from the nice man that runs the place while Iruka-Sensei laughs._

_“Is that why you took your goggles off?” he says, voice still laced with laughter._

_“O kawari!” Naruko shouts out. Iruka-Sensei lets out a choke-like shout, while I happily sip the bowl that was just delivered to me._

_Yeah, life’s good._

 

* * *

 

 

The next day, Naruko and I actually made it to class in time. Not that we never did, we just… Tend to be busy and forget about time… Accidentally, of course. But today is a special day, so we made sure to pay extra attention to the time today. After all, it’s not _every_ day you get to be tested whether or not you’re ready to leave the Shinobi Academy and became a _real_ Ninja. And with Naruko’s pretending to be a boy, and me remaining true to our gender, we had the added benefit of having the knowledge of _all_ the Academy classes, instead of just the ones intended for one gender. We both think it’s stupid to split people and classes apart based on _gender_ , but hey, we’re just a pair of kids, standing at the bottom of the social ladder. We’ll change that once we’re at the top.

Anyway. The morning was filled with all kinds of written tests. This lunch period, instead of leaving the Academy grounds to act on our mischievousness, we spend the time seated back to back on the swing instead, moving sideways. After the break was over, we hurriedly went back to class were Iruka-Sensei would give us the rest of the Genin Exam.

“We will now start the final exam.”

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Seriously though, hearing Iruka-Sensei’s voice brought me out of my thoughts. Stupid thing to do, really, thinking of how the day has passed so far while in between exams. Shit, what did he just stay? Focus, dammit!

“The subject will be the Bunshin no Jutsu.”

 

Oh. Damn. We’re fucked.

 

Naruko’s Bunshin… are unable to function, and mine… well… They're kinda like caricatures. For every Bunshin that I summon, another... aspect... gets more emphasis. Kinda like those Gikon things in Bleach, now that I think on it... But different all the same. Where I am one whole, my Bunshin are... well... so far I've seen excessively happy, doom gloom emo, dictionary definition of absentmindedness, Nara-lazy, and growling anger, all reflected off of my copies. It's weird. Anyway...

Looking at the blonde sitting beside me, I can see instantly that similar thoughts are passing through her mind, causing me to reach over and give her hand a squeeze. Upon having her attention, my lips pull up in a smile that was supposed to be reassuring, but even I can tell it came out nervous instead. Hearing my name being called out jolted me from my thoughts once more, forcing me to get up and follow our Sensei out of the room and down the hall, hands clenching and unclenching by my sides.  I swallow my nerves down as I enter the examination room. Taking a strong stance in the center of the room, I gather my Chakra while forming the Hitsuji Seal.

“Bunshin no Jutsu!” I call out, feeling my Chakra take on four forms. My shoulders tense in fearful anticipation.

The first was one bouncing up and down like a kid. That’s… doable.

The second was glaring and snarling and murmuring hissed threats under her breath. Not good.

“Nap time, nyah.” The third said, lying down and rubbing her face like a cat. It's lazy again. I kinda like this one.

The fourth and final one just blinked at me, waiting for orders.

 

“Four Bunshin at once? I’m impressed.” Iruka-Sensei’s silver haired assistant says, giving me a smile. Like always, I ignore the uneasy feeling his attention gives me, as if I’m a mouse staring up at a cobra  that's posed and ready to strike.

“Congratulations, Kayia. You pass.” The scar nosed man says with a smile, gesturing towards the neat rows of Hitai-ate. I give him a smile in return.

“You know how I work, Iruka-Sensei. If Naru-Naru passes, tell my bestie to pick up mine as well. If not, I’d rather you ignore my passing and don’t mention it to anyone.” I say, before bowing, dispelling my Bunshin, and walking out of the building to wait by the swing, but not without hearing him sigh and seeing his resigned, yet proud, smile. It makes me feel good to see his semi-approval like that.

And so here I am, waiting for my first close friend, as more and more of my classmates come out of the building, excitedly conversing with one other about having passed. I can’t help but chomp down on the flesh in front of and besides my nails, plucking bits and pieces off with my teeth as my nerves keep on building up, and up and up.  
At one point I see the Uchiha walking out of the building, hands in his pockets, a Hitai-ate on his forehead, as he speed walks out of the Academy grounds. I don’t pity him, but I do feel sad for him, what with the way he lost not only his parents, but his entire clan, his _family_. I silently watch him leave, for once going unnoticed by the others. He glances back once after passing the gate, possibly having felt my eyes on his back. As his black eyes meet my red ones, I give him a respectful nod. He gives a slow one in return, before moving out of sight.

Finally, Naruko appears. I seriously _do not_ understand why I was the first of the class to be called out, yet Naruko was the last. I sigh through my nose upon seeing her defeated posture. Another fail then. Oh well. We’ll get it next time.

“Daijoubu, Naru?” I ask softly upon her approach, sliding backwards on the wooden plank so she can sit down in front of me. She does so with a sigh.

“Un.” She says softly, leaning back against me, a sad frown on her face. I can see in her eyes that she’s disappointed in herself.

“…We’ll go ask Hiru-JiiJii, or maybe one of the nicer ANBU if they know a way for us to do a better Bunshin, alright? I bet Neko-san or Risu-san will help.” I say softly, wrapping my arms around my friend in a comforting hug. “Don’t worry, Naru-Naru… we’ll be fine.” I whisper reassuringly in her ear.

“Un. Arigatou, Kayia.” She says in reply, the smile briefly returning to her face. Only for it to fade away as quickly as the parents rush towards their children, hugging them and congratulating them for passing, causing me to let out another sigh. I could feel her tense up in my arms when the adults started whispering about her, glaring our way.

“Naruto-kun. Kayia-chan.” A voice softly calls out behind us to the right. My shoulders tense slightly, but I force myself to relax as we turn our attention to the top of the fence. Iruka-Sensei’s assistant is standing there, that kind smile on his face again.

He gestures for us to follow him, and without hesitation, Naruko stands up and joins him on the fence, leaving me no choice but to shove down my instincts and follow my friend’s example.

 

I have a bad feeling about this.

 

* * *

 

 

**Sources;**

[ **http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia** ](http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia)

[ **https://translate.google.com/** ](https://translate.google.com/)

[ **http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Bleach_Wiki** ](http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Bleach_Wiki)

 

**_Bunshin (no Jutsu) - Clone (Technique)_ **

 

****

**_Hitai-ate – forehead protector_ **

****

**_Daijoubu - All right, according to Google Translate_ **

****

**_ANBU - Anbu Black Ops, Literally meaning: Dark Side; short for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai, Literally meaning: Special Assassination and Tactical Squad_ **

****

**_Neko – Cat_**

 

**_Risu - Squirrel_ **

****

**_Un - Yeah, according to GT_ **

****

**_Arigatou - Thank you_**

 

 

 

Kayia: “How did you drag me here again…” +grumbles, nibbles on a cookie+

 

Dragon: +huffs+ “Because I am your author and master! Now bow, minion!”

 

Kayia: +raises an eyebrow, continues nibbling on the cookie+

 

Dragon: “Okay, don’t bow, but you’re still my minion!”

 

Kayia: +rolls eyes, turns to audience+ “Never mind this reptilian baka. Just read, subscribe if you like, and review if you want. If you don’t, I’m not keeping you here. Good luck with your life, and tallyho.”

 

Dragon:  “Tallyho..? _MARDEK!_ ” +dashes off to play said game+

 

Kayia: “O-oi! Dragon! You haven’t finished the next chapter yet!” +chases after Dragon+

 

 

 

\---

_ **Edited the Bunshin thing on 1-7-2016... only four months after uploading the 6th chapter on 13-3-'16.** _


	6. Hindsight is 20/20, or so they say

**AN: Hmmm... Maybe Dragon should put up a gore warning… Seriously though, there are threats of serious bodily harm being made in this chapter, and it probably won’t be the last, either.**  
**Then again, this is a _NARUTO_ fanfiction, after all. Bodily harm is to be expected at some point or other.  
** **Eeh, Dragon is just gonna wing it! ^v^**

 

* * *

 

**_ Previously; _ **

 

_“Naruto-kun. Kayia-chan.” A voice softly calls out behind us to the right. My shoulders tense slightly, but I force myself to relax as we turn our attention to the top of the fence. Iruka-Sensei’s assistant is standing there, that kind smile on his face again._

_He gestures for us to follow him, and without hesitation, Naruko stands up and joins him on the fence, leaving me no choice but to shove down my instincts and follow my friend’s example._

_I have a bad feeling about this._

* * *

 

 

Note to self. Always listen to your intuition.

 

Iruka-Sensei’s assis- no… _Mizuki-yarou_ , deceived us.

 

He told us that Iruka-Sensei isn’t a bad person, and that he wants us to be the best we can be. Because we remind him of himself. Because we, like him, are orphans. When Naruko expressed her desire to graduate, he told us about a ‘special secret’. We would have to sneak into Hiru-JiiJii’s house to find and take a scroll, and if we were able to perform a single technique from said scroll, we’d receive an instant pass.

 

Long story short, we were discovered by none other than JiiJii himself as we were about to enter his personal library later that evening. We quickly performed the Oiroke no Jutsu, causing him to pass out from blood loss, before hurrying into the library and taking the scroll we needed. We found it just where Mizuki-yarou had said it would be, after which we hurried out the window and towards the practice field that man had showed us earlier that afternoon. Naruko removed the large scroll from her back once we reached the field, and promptly sat down on the grass where she proceeded to open it just enough to reveal the first technique.

 

“Let’s see, the first Jutsu is… ‘Kage Bunshin no Jutsu’? Nandayo?! Why does it start with the thing we’re not good at!?” she exclaimed loudly, gripping her spiky blond hair.

 

“Easy on the hair, Naruko.” I say, placing my hand on her shoulder. “Who knows, maybe this is just what we need, ne? It did say _Kage Bunshin_. To me, that sounds like it’s a more specialized form of the general Bunshin no Jutsu. Or maybe our shadow will separate itself from us when we perform this Jutsu and it will become its own person!”

 

“…That does sound awesome, dattebayo.” She conceded, expression shifting from frustration, to eagerness.

 

And thus, we practiced. The instructions weren’t all that hard to follow. It’s the actual _doing_ that was troublesome. Naruko has trouble shaping her Chakra. I, on the other hand, have trouble gathering _enough_ Chakra. Also, I was wrong about the shadow thing. Anyway, comparing a normal Bunshin to the Kage Bunshin… is like comparing a glass of water to the Mediterranean Sea. Holy damn, does this technique use a shitload of Chakra! It didn’t take long for me to lay on my back on the grass, panting heavily in exhaustion, while Naruko still went at it. I swear, that girl’s stamina is _monstrous_. It was about an hour after we first arrived at the field when Iruka-Sensei found us. Naruko and I were sitting, me taking my fourth break, while the blonde was finally taking her first.

 

“Kora, Naruto, Kayia…” the Chuunin had growled out at us, breathing heavily, hands on his hips, right eye twitching in irritation. Judging from his slightly dishevelled appearance, combined with the heavy breathing, he must’ve been running for a while. Naruko chuckled and sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. In response, Iruka-Sensei straightened up and raised an eyebrow at us. “Hoh?”

 

“Oh man, we got caught.” Naruko said, moving to stand up, before reaching down to help me up as well. I gratefully accepted the hand that pulled me to stand beside her. “We only got to learn one Jutsu!” she continued, before  taking a step forward and spreading her arms, expression filled with a combination of pride, eagerness, and happiness. “We’re going to show you an incredible Jutsu! If we do it, let us graduate! If we show you a Jutsu from this scroll, we can graduate, right, right?!”

 

“Wh-who said that?!” Iruka-Sensei exclaims, looking a combination of startled and shocked. That’s when the bad feeling I had earlier today flared back up, causing me to tense up slightly.

 

“Mizuki-Sensei, dattebayo!” Naruko exclaims happily, unaware of the tension growing within both Iruka-Sensei and myself. “He told us about this place and this scroll!” only after turning around to show off the scroll that was once more placed upon her back, did she notice our Sensei’s shocked expression. All of a sudden, he shot forward, harshly pushing both of us to either side with enough force I guess it could’ve been called a toss or throw. He barely had the time to turn around before getting impaled by several Kunai, pinning him against the wooden structure we had been next to.

 

“I’m surprised you found out about this place.” A voice called out from the direction the Kunai had come from. Sharply looking up, I could see Mizuki-yarou standing on a branch. He then demanded the scroll from Naruko, no longer acting like the nice guy.

 

Naruko was in denial as she still sat where Iruka-Sensei’s shove had landed her, looking from one adult to the other, fearfully questioning what was going on. Having already concluded we had been deceived, I moved into a crouch while silently glaring up at the man standing on the tree. Iruka-Sensei warned Naruko away from handing the scroll over to the deceiver, before explaining it is dangerous and contains Kinjutsu. Mizuki-pig then tried to call bullshit, spouting how our Sensei was afraid of Naruko possessing the scroll, followed by him ‘revealing’ Naruko to be the Bakegitsune, ignoring Iruka-Sensei’s protests. He then tried to shove the blame of Iruka-Sensei’s parents’ deaths on Naruko’s shoulders, as well as the destruction of the village. And still Iruka-Sensei protested against Mizuki-yarou’s words, even as the latter stated the scar-nosed man hates Naruko.

 

I can honestly say I admire Iruka even more for that. He even stopped removing the Kunai the sensible way, and tore himself off of them in his anger. Not sure if that was a wise thing to do, but… Respect, dude. He cares more about us being lied to, than he does about his own well-being.

 

“I already know about Kyuubi.” Naruko said, shocking both men, and causing me to smile sardonically. “Sarutobi-JiiJii told me about it being sealed inside of me years ago. But that’s just the thing. I am _not_ the Kyuubi no Kitsune. I am it’s _container_. There’s a difference, -ttebayo!”

 

“Shinde, Naruto!” Mizuki-yarou shouted out in anger, tossing a giant Shuriken at the blonde.

 

“Naruko, duck!” I called out in a panic. In mere seconds, the sound of metal piercing clothes and flesh could be heard. Except… it wasn’t Naruko that got hit…

 

“I-Iruka…Sensei…” the blond choked out, looking up at the bleeding man crouching over her. I could hear the tears in her voice, which _still_ pisses me the hell off. No one makes my Naru-chan cry and gets away with it! No one! Mizuki-yarou will _pay_!

 

At this point, Iruka-Sensei started to talk about his parents, and how he struggled after he lost them. How he became the class clown just to get a bit of attention . How it hurt to be _alone_. He even apologized for not doing a good enough job looking out for Naru-Naru. It was only then that the deceiver spoke up once more, letting out a humourless chuckle.

 

“Don’t make me laugh!” Mizuki called out waspishly. “Iruka has hated you since you killed his parents! He just wants that scroll back!”

 

“Urusai!” I shouted up at him. “Are you deaf!? Naruko didn’t kill anyone! And if Iruka-Sensei really _did_ want that scroll back, and if he really _does_ hate Naruko… why go through the trouble of getting injured, protecting Naru-Naru like that?!”

 

“Che. Like you know anything, Gaki!” the white haired bastard called back. “You’re just a foreigner who wasn’t even _near_ Konohagakure no Sato when everything took place!”

 

“I may not have been born in this country… I may only have moved here six years ago… But don’t you dare underestimate me or my knowledge! And don’t you ever, _ever!,_ make my friend cry again! Because if you do… I will rip out your entrails and skip rope with them!” I snarled up at him, letting all my rage for the bastard show, and using a phrase I’d read on the internet somewhere.

 

“Guess I’ll just have to kill you as well!” he shouted in reply, before charging down.

 

“You may try, but I’ll be damned if I let you succeed, you mother fucker!” I shouted back, making a quick roll to the right to pick up two discarded Kunai before getting back up just as quickly as I dropped down. And not a second too soon, for I barely had the time to raise my arms to block his first strike with one of the Kunai I had just grabbed. My grin was vicious when I saw his anger. I thought to myself how I had to distract and delay him so that Naruko would have a chance to take Iruka-Sensei away from the traitor. While she did run with our Sensei, before I could implement my plan of taking out the ligaments attaching his calve muscles to his bones, the bitchtard took off after the duo with a frustrated sound.

 

“Fuck me!” I remember spitting out while giving chase. Seeing him take to the trees again, I clenched one of the Kunai between my teeth, keeping the other in my right fist, before following the betrayer’s example and sprinting up a tree. Boy, am I glad I found that exercise two years ago! Now I used my chakra to pull and push myself to and from each branch in my path. It sounds more thought out and elegant than it actually was, but that’s pretty much the gist of it. I remember cursing my reduced length when I started to lose sight of my quarry. In an attempt to at least slow the bastard down, I tossed the Kunai still clutched in my right hand. Except my aim was off, and instead of hitting his leg like I intended, it struck a branch instead. Shortly after he disappeared among the leaves, but Iruka had left behind a trail of tiny blood splatters which I followed, mentally praying and cursing that Mizuki wouldn’t hurt my precious people, when suddenly, with a poof of smoke, a whole herd of Naruko appeared in front of me. The change came so sudden, I had no time to adjust my speed or direction, crashing into two of the Bunshin and dispelling them from the force of the impact.

 

“Kayia-chan!” two others called out, who then proceeded to pull me back onto my feet.

 

“Bloody hell, Naruko, just _how_ many Bunshin did you just create?! A hundred? Two hundred? A thousand!?” I couldn’t help but exclaim after spitting out the Kunai I still held between my jaws, focusing my attention on one Bunshin, while leaning on the other. A third made a thoughtful sound, drawing my attention to herself.

 

“I think about one and a half thousand, give or take a dozen.” She said, a finger against her chin, before giving me a grin. “Don’t worry about us though! We’ll give Mizuki an ass-kicking he will remember! He won’t touch you or Iruka-Sensei ever again, dattebayo!”

 

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” the first Bunshin asked then. Tuning my attention to her, I could see she’s focusing on my neck.

 

“No, I don’t think so. I’m just tired.” I answered, reaching up to my neck. ‘ _I can still feel the cord with my ring, so that can’t b- wait… what’s..?_ ’ Pulling my fingers back, I could see my fingertips were dyed red. “Blood..?”

 

Almost instantly, all three Bunshin were up close and personal, the third pulling my blue shirt aside, the one I’m leaning on using her hand to pull my head against her shoulder, and the first inspecting the side of my neck, letting out a low hiss.

 

“Eh… girls..?” I questioned hesitantly, before hissing myself at the sudden stinging feeling of fingers pressing against a scrape or cut. Except… it wasn’t on my neck… it was on my jaw line.

 

“I can see the bone… but I don’t think the bone itself is damaged…” the one inspecting me said, sounding a bit hesitant.

 

**_“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!”_ **

The sudden shout caused all four of us to look up sharply, only to discover that the other Bunshin that had been nearby, have disappeared among the leaves.

 

“Sooo… I’m guessing that was Mizuki-yarou then..?” I asked, startling the three Bunshin into action. One of them picked up the Kunai I had dropped earlier, before suiciding and dispelling herself. The one I had been leaning on manoeuvred herself so I was piggyback riding her, while the last caught the falling Kunai and led the way, the Bunshin carrying me following on her heels. Just a few minutes later, we entered a clearing with a tired but proud Iruka-Sensei, a knocked-out Mizuki, and a sheepish looking Naruko. The Bunshin not carrying me hurried to sit down on top of the deceiver, pressing the Kunai against his throat in case he woke up. The giant Shuriken that Iruka-Sensei took for Naruko, was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Eheheheheheh… Maybe I hurt him too much…” Naruko said, rubbing the back of her spiky blond hair. “Iruka-Sensei, Kayia-chan, daijoubudesuka?” she asked in concern.

 

“Aah…” our Sensei said while deep in thought.

 

“Hai, just a bit tired and a scratch on my chin. I honestly don’t know why your Bunshin is carrying me like this. There’s nothing wrong with my legs.” I answered, giving her a smile.

 

“Don’t give me that ‘just a scratch’ crap! When my Kage Bunshin dispelled itself, I knew what it knew, so I know that cut is down to your bone!” Naruko exclaimed then, pointing at me with a worried glare, causing my smile to widen. I could feel it pull at the cut, but I’ve had worse. A soft chuckle drew our attention back to our Sensei, who gave Naru-Naru a warm smile.

 

“Naruto, come here for a second. I want to give you something.” He said, his voice as warm as his smile. A more poetic person might say it rivalled the sun. I just say it rivals a mother’s hug. Using the tree behind him, Iruka-Sensei pulled himself to his feet while Naruko walked towards him.

“Close your eyes.” The scar-nosed man said kindly. The blonde promptly did as asked. I tapped both Bunsh- pardon, _Kage Bunshin_ , on the shoulder, gesturing at them to keep quiet. They nodded once before eagerly turning back to watch our Sensei remove his Hitai-ate from his head, only to replace Naruko’s goggles with it. Her only outward reaction to his actions were her twitching nose and fingers, as well as voicing her impatience, causing Iruka’s smile to widen.

 

“Yosh! Open your eyes!” he said after taking a step back. Naruko slowly did as told, seeing a smiling, Hitai-ate-less Iruka-Sensei, her goggles in his hand. My smile widened (causing me to wince slightly at the stinging feeling in my cut) upon seeing her face scrunch up in confusion, before going slack in realization and shock.

 

“Congratulations.” Iruka-Sensei then said in a soft and utterly proud voice. “You pass.”

 

I nearly couldn’t hold back a giggle at Naruko’s frozen, near-catatonic state.

 

“Yosh! Let’s celebrate, I’ll treat you to ramen!” Iruka-Sensei called out, breaking the silence.

 

“Iruka-Sensei!” Naruko exclaimed out in reply, tears of happiness forming in her eyes as she glomped our Sensei, aggravating the man’s wounds. I laughed happily as the two messed around for a bit, before they finally quieted down.

 

“Nee, Kayia-chan…” Iruka-Sensei eventually said, voice and face filled with curiosity, his arms still holding a happy and cuddly Naruko. “Did I hear you say Naru _ko_ earlier, instead of Naru _to_?”

 

That simple, innocent question had Naruko, her two remaining Kage Bunshin, and myself freezing, the former three even tensing up somewhat, causing Iruka-Sensei to give the blond a confused and questioning look. Said blond dropped her head against his chest with a defeated sigh, her shoulders sagging downward. She then pushed herself up and off of him, mumbling about how she should’ve told him sooner, before taking a fortifying breath. Sitting up straight, she told him about her true identity, as well as the reason why she and Hiru-JiiJii invented her false one. She tensed up after that, fearful of his verdict. Luckily, he didn’t wait long to voice his thoughts.

 

“So… what you’re saying… is that instead of an otouto and an imouto… I have two imouto?” the scar-nosed man had asked while rubbing at his scar, stunning us both with his casual tone. It wasn’t long after that before we were both hugging him for all that we’re worth.

 

While both Naruko and I had felt it for at least half as long as we’ve known each other, if not longer… neither one of us has verbally acknowledge our sisterly bond before. And now our Sensei… the man we have come to see as a brother of sorts… has claimed us as his imouto.

I don’t care if the laws acknowledge it or not. These two are my family now. My siblings. Nothing and no one will ever change that.

 

_Ever._

 

* * *

 

 

**Sources;**

[ **http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia** ](http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia)

[ **https://translate.google.com/** ](https://translate.google.com/)

****

**Japanese Translations:**

****

**_Yarou - Asshole_ **

****

**_Oiroke no Jutsu - Seduction Technique_ **

****

**_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu - Shadow Replication Technique_ **

****

**_Nandayo - Google Translate said it means 'oh men' so Dragon is just going to assume it can go for 'oh man' as well. Again, if you readers know better, please say so in a review or PM!_ **

****

**_Bunshin no Jutsu - Replication Technique_ **

****

**_Kora – Hey_ **

****

**_Kinjutsu – Forbidden Techniques_ **

****

**_Bakegitsune - Monster Fox_ **

****

**_Kyuubi - Nine tails_ **

****

**_Kitsune - Fox_ **

****

**_Shinde – Die_ **

****

**_Urusai – Noisy_ **

****

**_Gaki – Brat_ **

****

**_Daijoubudesuka? - Are you alright?_ **

****

**_Hai – Yes_ **

****

**_Nee - hey_ **

****

**_Otouto – Little brother._ **

****

**_Imouto – Little sister._ **

****

 

Kayia: +stares at Dragon+ “Since when am I German?”

 

Dragon: +smiles goofily+ “Since yesterday~! Dragon thought of French and Spanish as well, but Dragon doesn’t understand those, whereas Dragon sort of knows a bit how German works~!”

 

Kayia: “…Right…” -.-

 

Ichigo: “She’s done crazier stuff.” +sips a can of soda+

 

Dragon: +starts+ “Bwaah! Berry-taaaan! Go back to your own room!”

 

Ichigo: “No.” +takes another sip+

 

Kayia: “Stuff like what?” +looks curiously at the orange haired teen+

 

Ichigo: “Dragon here took my post-Vizard-training self, turned my _Human_ kaa-san into a random Demoness, and had me unlock my Demonic Blood instead of losing my Shinigami powers after defeating Aizen. She then, at a later point, decided to shift my kaa-san into Satan’s Anee-san.”

 

Kayia: +whistles+ “Dayum. That’s one crazy backstory dude.”

 

Ichigo: +shrugs, empties can+

 

Dragon: +fake cries+ “Uwaaaah! You’re spoiling my story! And it’s not even publishable yet!”

 

Ichigo: +vein appears, shouts back+ “Baka! You’ve been working on my crossover for longer than you’ve been a _Naruto_ fan! And you’re _still_ not ready to publish it! Get a move on already, Baka-onna!”

 

Kayia: “Onna? I thought Dragon was male..?” +shakes off confusion, moves away from the bickering pair+ “Never mind that… anyway, now that Dragon’s distracted…” +quickly removes all traces of German, saves the changes, and posts the chapter+ “No offence to the real Germans out there… but it just doesn’t work for me. And with that done, I’m off to take a bath and take care of this stupid wound. Bai bai~!” +waves at the audience, sneaks out unnoticed by the still bickering twosome+


	7. Transfer of knowledge

**_ Previously; _ **

**__ **

_“So… what you’re saying… is that instead of an otouto and an imouto… I have two imouto?” the scar-nosed man had asked while rubbing at his scar, stunning us both with his casual tone. It wasn’t long after that before we were both hugging him for all that we’re worth._

_While both Naruko and I had felt it for at least half as long as we’ve known each other, if not longer… neither one of us has verbally acknowledge our sisterly bond before. And now our Sensei… the man we have come to see as a brother of sorts… has claimed us as his imouto._

_I don’t care if the laws acknowledge it or not. These two are my family now. My siblings. Nothing and no one will ever change that._

 

Ever.  


* * *

 

 

After handing over Mizuki-yarou to the ANBU and getting our wounds taken care of, Iruka-nii-san had invited us to come spend the night at his place. We kinda sorta maybe never really left. Frankly, none of us care for the two of us to leave. While he hasn’t explicitly said it, I can tell Iruka-nii-san is glad he no longer lives alone in his house. Both me and Naruko are glad of being rid of naggy neighbours. Plus, the tiny apartment was getting kind of cramped. Now we each have our own rooms!

 

Iruka-nii-san had given me one of the new Hitai-ate that were stalled on the desk during the Genin Exams, having taken one for himself as well. Naruko refuses to part with his old one for anything short of bathing and sleeping. Even then, she always keeps it nearby. It’s actually kind of cute, to see her treat Iruka-nii-san’s old Hitai-ate as her own personal treasure. She didn’t even really scratch out his registration number on the back, only making a faint scratch through it before adding her own underneath once it was assigned to her.

 

Over the past few days, we told Iruka-nii-san everything. And I do mean _everything_. First Naruko told him about her parents, the assassination attempts, JiiJii’s help in hiding her identity, as well as the fact that, other than Iruka-Sensei, Hiruzen no Jiisan, and myself, only a handful of ANBU had ever been friendly to her. After that, I told them both about my life in the _Before_. I told them about my Father, my Mother, how I lost them, how I lived, how I got my money. I told them about _The Incident_ and how Hiru-JiiJii found me out in a field before taking me shopping and then to the Academy. At first Naruko was hurt that I hadn’t told her everything these past six years, but I told her that I honestly hadn’t thought of telling her and that she’d never asked for the things I had not-quite-intentionally kept from her. Iru-nii was shocked that I was really 26 years old, before saying that he himself would turn 23 next month. In return, he told us about his own parents, his time at the Academy, and what it was like growing up before and after he lost his parents in the Kyuubi attack, as well as why he chose to become an Academy Sensei.

 

Yesterday Ruka-nii took us shopping. More specifically, clothes shopping. We had both started to outgrow most of our outfits. During the trip Naruko got herself, among other things, a standard Ninja outfit, as well as a red scarf and a bunch of pants, shirts, and skirts, as well as a pretty blue summer dress that brings out her eyes. I myself got various clothes including, but not limited to, a couple standard Konoha Ninja outfits, a couple skirts, a fancy dress, a couple shirts, sweaters and vests, and some pants of varying lengths, all in various colours. In addition to that, I also talked the both of them into getting a more… ‘traditional’ ninja outfit which covers everything but the eyes. I also had my hair dye removed by the hairdresser, returning my snow white hair to its natural state.

 

When all was said and done, Naruko and I had our pictures taken for our Ninja Registration Forms. Beforehand the two of us had been discussing what kind of face paint, outfit, and pose would look the ‘coolest’. But Iruka-nii-san suggested for us to drop the act and just be ourselves, which surprisingly enough, had Naruko instantly putting the brush down and scrubbing her face clean, after which we had both put on a regular Ninja outfit, put our Hitai-ate on our heads, and hooking our goggles on our belt.

 

                And now, here we are, me wearing a black tank top over a long-sleeved red net shirt, and grey-green camouflage knee-length shorts with Naruko wearing a black knee-length skirt and a dark grey t-shirt, orange jacket tied around her waist, having decided on leaving her Naruto-Henge in the past. Currently we’re seated in Sarutobi-JiiJii’s office as he looks over our Ninja Registration Forms. Or perhaps I should say form, since I wrote on it with dark red ink, and she wrote on the same form with bright orange. I don’t recognize the man seated next to him, but honestly, I don’t care. His white bucket hat looks kind of silly on him.

 

“Eheheheh… I didn’t know what to do with my appearance, so it took us three hours to decide on this. But it looks good, right? Right?” Naruko asks enthusiastically, giving the old man a thumbs up. Meanwhile, I’m contemplating getting a change in hair style. Perhaps a Zuko-tail?

 

“Do it over.” Sarutobi-JiiJii says sternly, pulling me from my thoughts.

 

“NOOO!” Naruko exclaims, looking affronted.

 

“Re-do it.” The old man says, voice still stern.

 

“No way, dattebayo!” Naruko says back loudly, her eyes narrowed to slits. A short staring contest takes place between the two, and just as I am about to ask the village leader why he wants us to re-do the form, Naruko slaps her hands together and shouts out “Henge!” before performing her self-made technique, causing me to face-palm. It’s fine for pranking purposes, or maybe information gathering in the future, but this..? Blackmailing our boss-figure and sort of grandfatherly person? No. Just no. And before you shout ‘ ** _Objection!_** ’, yes, I know we used it when we went for the scroll, but _that_ was infiltration and extraction, _not_ blackmailing.

 

“Hokage-sama, tarra..!” ‘adult’ Naruko begs in a seductive voice. Honestly, I’m surprised when she poofs back with a semi-traumatized expression after Sarutobi-JiiJii falls over backwards with his chair because of the nosebleed she gave him. Again, we’ve had this situation before. Wonder where the sudden trauma comes from…? Then again, maybe it’s best if I _don’t_ know.

 

“The Oiroke no Jutsu, eh?” the old man asks while wiping his nose with a hankie, after recovering from the shock and righting his chair. “What an absurd technique…”

 

“ _Former_ Oiroke no Jutsu, we have yet to think up a more appropriate name for it. And actually, it’s quite brilliant. I know it looks like a Henge no Jutsu, and that’s what we led others to believe, but it’s actually an aging Jutsu. The only Henge part of it is the wardrobe change.” I interject, wanting the old man to understand the brilliance that is Naruko’s creative mind. Said blonde gives a self-conscious chuckle while rubbing the back of her head. The old man gives a thoughtful hum before returning his attention to the form on his desk.

 

“Even so… The Ninja Registration Form is something of utmost secrecy that will remain in the village, so it’s an important document, even to pranksters like yourselves. They are supposed to be individual, so why didn’t you each fill in your own forms?” the old man asked in disbelief.

 

“Because we’re a team. The only thing we separated for, were exams and those gender-dividing classes back in the Academy. Which is just plain stupid if you ask me. Who was the brilliant fool who decided that boys don’t need to know about foreign customs and laws? And what about us girls? Don’t we deserve to know more than just the most basic of basic Taijutsu styles and forms? What with Naruko here pretending to be a boy, and the two of us living together, we have the advantage of having the knowledge of _both_ gender-specific curriculums. But seriously, this gender-division stuff needs to _go_. Boys need to know about poisonous plants too. Girls need to know about unusual weaponry too.” I explain and complain at the same time.

 

“I really can’t get you to fill in separate forms, huh?” the old man says with a miniscule smile, his eyes twinkling with fond amusement.

 

 ** _“Not a chance, JiiJii!”_** the two of us say at the same time, grinning widely. And then the door slams open, revealing… a boy with a Shuriken?

 

“Jii-san! Fight me!” the boy exclaims, starting to run towards Sarutobi-JiiJii. “The title of Godaime Hokage belongs to me, Konohamaru! ACK!” with a shout, he trips over his own two feet.

 

 _‘…Is this kid for real…?’_ I can’t help but think, looking at the Ninja-wannabe.

 

“ _No wonder he wears that ridiculous helmet._ ” Naruko mutters beside me in such a way I can barely hear her, never mind the other occupants of the room.

 

“Itaiii!” the boy wails, pressing his hands to his face while curling in on himself. I’m guessing from Sarutobi-JiiJii’s shoulder movement, while he was pulling the rim of his hat down slightly, that he just sighed. Suddenly, a man dressed only in dark blue appears in the open door way.

 

“Is this a trap?!” the boy calls out suddenly, moving up to sit on his knees while rubbing his head, glaring around in annoyance.

 

“Heh? Heh? Heh?” the man says, looking around, before focusing on the boy. “Da- daijoubudesuka, Omago-sama?!” he then exclaims, adjusting the round sunglasses that rest on his nose. His voice reminds me of that shapeshifting _Bleach_ character from the filler arc, but I can’t recall his name. “There are no traps by the way.” The man finishes, and I shrug off the thought.

 

It’s not that important, anyway.

 

Suddenly, both the boy and the man turn their focus towards the two of us. ‘ _I wonder if the man is one of the many people who hate Naruko because of Kyuubi._ ’ I think while warily eyeing said man. Then the boy gets up on his feet and stomps up towards us, drawing my attention to himself.

 

“I got it.” The boy exclaims, before shoving a finger in Naruko’s face. “You did something, didn’t you?”

 

“You just tripped on your own, baka!” Naruko exclaims back, grabbing the collar of the boy’s yellow shirt and clenching her other hand into a fist while giving the brat a fierce glare.

 

“Orraaa, Narutooo! Let go of him!” the man shouts, before gesturing towards Sarutobi-JiiJii. “He is the grandson of the great Sandaime Hokage!”

 

“Hmm?” Naruko pauses, giving the boy a thoughtful look with her narrow, vulpine eyes, keeping her thoughts and observations to herself. Said brat’s expression turns from angry glare to cocky smirk. It’s not hard to guess what _he’s_ thinking.

 

“What’s the matter? Why don’t you hit me if you can?!” the brat challenges. “You’re no match for a Hokage no Mago!”

 

 _‘Baka.’_ I think, inwardly rolling my eyes, outwardly giving the pair a bored look. ‘ _A knock on the head will probably do the brat some good._ ’ As I expected, the near-arrogant challenge of an assumption the brat just shouted only serves to piss Naruko off.

 

“Like I give a damn about that, kono baka!” she shouts, before hitting the back of his head with her fist while dropping him from the grip she still held with her other hand, causing the brat to fall on his face in front of her.

 

“Na-naniiii?!” the blue dressed man exclaims, hands disbelievingly twitching in front of him.

 

Sarutobi-JiiJii lets out another sigh, before dismissing us with a wave of his hand. We spare no time in leaving the building, only nodding and waving goodbye at Sarutobi-JiiJii and the only civil ANBU we’ve met so far, whom is guarding the door out of the office and has a cat-like mask. As we walk through the town though, it is pretty obvious we are being followed. We share a glance from the corner of our eyes, before giving a few, quick signals while discussing possible names for Naru’s Jutsu out loud. We can multitask like that.

 

_ Chase. _

_ Chibi Kage.  _

_ Respond? _

_ Soon. _

****

We invented our own signing system over the years. It’s crude, and only has a handful of ‘words’, but it serves its purpose. Basically, the silent conversation we just had would translate to this; ‘We are being followed.’ ‘It is that boy from earlier, Sarutobi-JiiJii’s grandson.’ ‘Should we respond to him?’ ‘We will if he doesn’t stop soon.’

 

Crude, but effective.

 

“ _Is that supposed to be a rock?_ ” I hiss under my breath, glancing back over my shoulder. Naru glances as well, before rolling her eyes.

 

“We can see your feet.” She says loudly in a bored tone, not one step slowing down. The ‘rock’, which had been breathing, now stills as if frozen solid. I shrug and keep walking by her side. I can hear the rustle of discarded fabric, concluding the boy has shrugged off the pale cloth to chase after us once more. His footsteps aren’t nearly as silent as they should’ve been for such a task. We share another glance before putting on our annoyed faces and turning around, pointing down the road we just walked.

 

 ** _“Don’t follow us! What do you want?!”_** we exclaim in unison, with Naruko adding her standard ‘dattebayo!’  at the end, gaze focused on the single piece of horizontal fence, whereas the rest of the fence is vertical. Also, it is the only piece of fence with a random spiky ponytail. The brat refuses to respond, causing Naru’s eyebrow to twitch.

 

“Ano, you aren’t fooling anyone with that…” she says, eliciting a chuckle from the boy. To me, it sounds like a failed attempt at a laugh from a mastermind in the movies or something.

 

“Nice job detecting me. I should’ve expected it from the guy I have heard rumours about.” The brat says, lowering his cloth just far enough to reveal his face.

 

“Sorry to disappoint you kid, but we’re both girls.” I say, crossing my arms in front of my chest, giving the brat an annoyed look. He looks terribly startled for a bit before trying to compose himself. He’s failing at it, but he’s only a kid, so we’ll let it slide.

 

“I don’t mind being your follower.” The boy says, pointing at Naru’s face again.

 

“Heh?” she asks in bewilderment, while I just give the boy an amused smile.

 

“But in return, tell me how to do that Oiroke no Jutsu you used to defeat Oyaji!” the boy exclaims, holding his fists close to his chest. The kid’s looking pumped. My amusement increases.

 

“Stop kidding around, dattebayo.” Naru says, turning her side to the boy while crossing her arms. My smile grows into a grin as a spark enters the boy’s eyes.

 

“Don’t say that please, Oyabun!” the kid exclaims.

 

“Huh? Oyabun?” Naruko says in surprise, turning her bright blue eyes to the boy.

 

“Oyabun! Oyabun! Oyabuuun!” said boy exclaims, full of enthusiasm. The blonde gives me a baffled look, her eyes asking me for my opinion.

 

“Well, gaki, how about you first tell us who you are, we tell you who we are, and _then_ we’ll decide from there, alright?” I say, amusement still running high. The boy’s dark eyes turn to me then, a hint of apprehension and hesitation in them, before they fill with determination.

 

“I am Sarutobi Konohamaru.” The boy says in the most serious tone he has used yet.

 

“I am Shihoin Kayia, and this is my sister in all but blood, Namikaze Naruko. Nice to meet you, Konohamaru-kun.” I say, gesturing first at myself, then at my friend as I tell him our names.

 

“If you’re name’s Naruko… then why did Megane kyoushi call you Naruto?” Konohamaru asks curiously, looking up at the blonde once more.

 

“Bah, he’s just stupid.” She says with an uncaring shrug, before giving me a raised eyebrow. Her eyes tell me she’s interested in the kid. I give her a smile and a nod to show her I am too. We then turn twin vulpine grins on the brat.

 

 ** _“We’ll teach you, kohai.”_** we say, before stepping apart and gesturing for the boy to come walk with us. He eagerly moves between us to the space we just cleared for him, and matches our pace as we continue walking down the streets of Konoha.

 

“First, to use a Ninjutsu well, you need to use your Chatora well, dattebayo.” Naruko says.

 

“Naru, don’t confuse the poor thing.” I lightly scold my friend, earning a stuck out tongue from the blonde, before giving the boy a smile. “She means Chakra.”

 

“Listen, Chakra is-” my friend starts, only to get interrupted by the brown haired boy.

 

“Simply, it is the energy you use to perform a Jutsu.” He says while holding a lecturing teacher pose, before pulling a scroll out of his shirt and reading from it. “In other words, Ninjutsu use both Chakra, the body energy existent in every cell of the body, and spirit energy, which accumulates through training and experience.”

 

“Actually, Konohamaru-kun, Chakra is the name of those two energies combined.” I correct, before explaining. “Shintai, or physical energy, can be increased through training and exercising the body. Seishin, or mental energy, can be increased through studying and experience. After these two are mixed together and a seal is formed, it is executed.”

 

“As interesting as those big words are, you basically only need two things to use a Jutsu well.” Naruko says, drawing the attention of the boy once more.

 

“Two things..?” he asks her curiously, making her pause and turn towards him, one hand on her hip, one hand raised to tick off her points. Konohamaru turns to face her, as do I behind him.

 

“Hard work.” One finger gets raised. “And guts.” And a second finger gets raised, before the hand lowers itself to her other hip.

 

“Hard work and guts, eh?” the boy asks, once more making his determined stance.

 

“Tell me, kohai, what do you know about the Henge no Jutsu?” I ask, making the boy turn around to look up at me.

 

“Henge no Jutsu? Isn’t that where you become someone else..?” he asks me hesitantly.

 

“Correct. The Oiroke no Jutsu is similar to it.” I say, remembering that Naruko had decided on renaming her aging technique something else, after she actually created the Henge variant her technique was known as.

 

 “That’s right. We’ll train you hard, so prepare yourself.” My blonde sister says with a soft smile on her face.

 

“Roger, Oyabun!” the boy exclaims enthusiastically.

 

“Alright then! Try to Henge now!” Naruko says, returning his smile.

 

“Heh?” the boy asks, looking up at us questioningly.

 

“Before we can teach you, we’ll have to know what you can do.” I tell him.

 

“But what should I Henge into?” he asks, looking from one to the other in confusion. We share a glance before looking towards the people at a nearby stall.

 

“Hmmm… You see that lady over at the tomatoes?” Naruko asks, pointing at a chestnut haired woman in a blue kimono.

 

“Hai, Oyabun.” The boy says, following her finger.

 

“Try to Henge into her.” I say, earning a determined grin from him.

 

“It’ll be my pleasure!” he says. He focuses on the woman for a moment, before gathering his Chakra and clasping his hands in the familiar Hitsuji seal. “Henge!” he calls out, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Once it clears… well… me and Naruko both lean back in shock.

 

“So? Do I look like her?” (s)he asks in a deep voice.

 

“A-ano… you uh… got the colours right, at least…” Naruko says, several facial muscles twitching madly.

 

“S-so that’s a start… I guess…” I add, chuckling nervously.

 

“What’s so similar?” an angry voice says, startling us to look in the direction of the vegetable stall again. The woman from before stands there, looking… well… pissed.

 

 ** _“Itai!”_** me and Naruko exclaim not even a moment later as she hits both of us over the head, startling Konohamaru out of his horrendous Henge.

 

“Listen, Omago-sama. Please do a cuter Henge when you take on my appearance.”  The woman says to him in a cutesy voice, scolding him teasingly, before walking away with a wave.

 

“S-she’s scary.” A shaking Konohamaru says, looking after the departing woman.

 

“Why did she have to hit us, dattebayo..?” Naruko asks.

 

“Itai…” is all I can manage to say, gingerly touching the back of my aching head. For a civilian, that woman packs quite the punch.

 

* * *

 

 

“Okay! We’re going to research pheromones at the bookstore!” Naruko exclaims once we stand in front of said store.

 

“Roger, Oyabun!” Konohamaru exclaims enthusiastically, causing me to chuckle softly. We then slide the door open gently to find the store manager asleep at the counter. We praise our lucky stars as we sneak inside. I gently close the door back up while Naruko leads the boy to the magazine section. I reach them just as she opens up a swim suit catalogue.

 

“See? Pretty women all follow the same structure. Wide, small, wide, see?” she says, gesturing at the page tall model, following her curves with her finger.

 

“Un!” Konohamaru agrees, nodding while following the movement of Naru’s finger.

 

“Also, to make things more ‘interesting’ for your target, don’t just go Full Monty, but leave something that hides the important parts from view. That way, your target will get focused on the covered parts, desiring to see what has been hidden.” I add in, tapping on the bikini the lady on the next page is wearing.

 

“I told you that there’s no browsing in the store, Naruto!” a male voice behind us says, causing us to tense up. Looking over our shoulders, we see the store manager, who looks pissed and has a cane over his shoulder, tapping it rhythmically on his other shoulder.

 

“ _Itai!_ ”

 

* * *

 

 

“This is the last place.” Naruko says about fifteen minutes later, looking down to our little protégé, her cheek holding a large, blossoming bruise.  “let’s put our spirit into it!”

 

“Hai, Oyabun!” Konohamaru exclaims, before all three of us clasp our hands into the Hitsugi seal.

 

 ** _“Henge!”_** we exclaim, disappearing in three puffs of white smoke. Naruko emerges the way she wishes she looks, slender, curvaceous, and with two long blond pig tails and bangs framing her sweet face. I emerge looking like a 30 something woman with the same bright blue eyes and golden blonde hair as Naruko, styled in a short bob. Konohamaru emerges looking like… Well… a rather obese female, with a too short shirt, big cheeks, giant lips, and teeny tiny eyebrows. We give each other a nod, before braving the dangerous cavern known as…

 

The Women’s Hot Spring.

 

We had barely entered the building before the women screeched and charged Naruko, shouting about how _Naruto_ was _‘sneaking in again’_. Knowing I had to interfere or watch my sister suffer, I instantly made up a lie on the spot.

 

"I am Namikaze Misao, and _that_ , is my _niece_ you're accosting, _Namikaze Naruko_. Kindly remove your hands from her person, or I will remove them _for_ you." I hiss out, giving the women that were attacking Naruko a cold glare. A wide-eyed Konohamaru is shaking in his shoes behind me, going unnoticed despite having lost his Henge.

 

The women slowly release my friend and make their retreat, never taking their frightful eyes off of me. Once they are a suitable distance away, I make a few hasty steps towards the blonde and rest my hand on her shoulder, bending forward a bit in order to look her in the eye.

 

"Daijoubu?" I ask, looking her up and down for whatever damage those vultures might have done to her.

 

"H-hai... Arigatou, Misao-san." she replies softly, straightening up again. I give her a warm smile, before straightening up myself as well, once more looking coldly at the huddle of women.

 

"I have changed my mind. I'd rather bathe in the river than here with these..." I pause to curl my lip up in a snarl. " _Vultures_."

 

And with that, I turn on my heel and stalk outside, both Naruko and Konohamaru hot on my heels. Frankly, I’m barely aware of them as I powerwalk through the village, filled with white hot rage. If I were an anime character, it’d be one of those scenes where the character in question is surrounded by flames to signify their anger. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if steam is billowing out of my ears. Chakra does weird things sometimes. I don’t stop until I reach a clearing in a nearby forest, far enough away from the buildings to give more than just a semblance of privacy. Only then do I drop my Henge.

 

“Those… those… _stupid brood mares_!” I exclaim, before punching at a nearby tree with an angry shout.

 

“O-oy, Kayia-nee-chan… It’s o-” Naruko starts, but I cut her off, whirling around and pointing at her.

 

“ _Don’t_ you _dare_ say it’s okay, Naruko! Because it isn’t! It really isn’t okay that they hurt you like that! I don’t care that they’re ignorant civilians! They still shouldn’t be acting like that towards a _child_!” I spit and rave, pacing back and forth, and making all sorts of gestures with my arms.

 

“I don’t care you’re a Kunoichi! I don’t care you’re a prankster! I don’t care you’re a teenager! You’re a _child_! They have _no right_ to… to… hurt you like that! To scratch and pull and punch and _whatever the hell else they were planning on doing to you!_ ” I snarl, sending a glare towards where I know the bathhouse to be.

 

“No one has the right to abuse a child, no matter what offense they may or may not have committed! _No one!_ And before you go defending them, I _know_ they don’t know! I know, okay?! But that still doesn’t excuse their horrid behaviour back there! It’s just… It’s just wrong…” I trail off with a sniff. It’s weird. Whenever I get truly pissed off like this, I end up crying. Like right now. It’s not outright _crying_ crying yet, but my eyes are most definitely overflowing with tears.

 

“Nee-chan…” Naruko says, before wrapping her arms around my shoulders, pulling me in for a hug. I wrap my arms around her back, gripping at the fabric covering her shoulders as I try to hold back a heavy sob and a nasty snarl. I’m startled out of my anger when I feel a tiny hand rubbing at the small of my back. Looking down, I can see an uncertain looking Konohamaru standing beside us, a worried frown creasing his brow.

 

“Daijoubu, Nee-san?” he asks, his voice having that same mixture of uncertainty and worry. I sniffle, step back from their touches, rub the tears from my face, and give him a watery smile.

 

“Hai. Arigatou, ‘Maru-chan, Nee-chan.” I say with one last sniffle, before giving the boy a wide grin. “The preparation for the Oiroke no Jutsu is now complete!”

 

“Un. All you need to do now, is practice, dattebayo!” Naruko says, giving him a thumbs up.

 

“Roger, Oyabun!” he says, my outburst forgotten by his renewed enthusiasm.

 

“Okay, now remember, the basic is Big, Thin, Big!” Naruko says, reflecting said enthusiasm.

 

“And don’t forget the bikini!” I add, giving the boy a wink.

 

“Roger, Nee-san!” he says, before clasping his hands together. “Henge!” And poof! He is once more the… man-woman. Although, this time, (s)he doesn’t have that bit of stubble on his/her chin.

 

“No!” Naruko exclaims. “Do it more slender!”

 

“Roger, Oyabun!” another poof, another form, another fail. “Is this okay?”

 

“Iie. Not yet. You’re better than before, but still not slender enough.” I say, prompting another poof. It continued on in this fashion for about twenty minutes, before he finally succeeded. Congratulating him, we decided to celebrate with lunch. We were sitting on a fallen tree, sipping cans of tea out of a nearby vending machine, when Naruko sprung the question.

 

“By the way, why are you so obsessed with Hokage no Jii-san?” she asks nonchalantly.

 

“Jii-chan gave me the name Konohamaru.” The boy replies, looking a bit… sad? Or maybe down? Something not-positive, anyway. And no, it’s not anger. At least, I don’t think so. “He named me after the village… Demo, even though it’s a name that everyone should’ve heard many times, no one ever calls me by that name.”

 

I barely notice as I lower my half-empty can from my face to my lap. I can see Naru doing the same where she’s seated on the boy’s other side.

 

“Whenever anyone sees or calls me, they only see the Hokage no Mago. No one sees me as my own person. I hate that. So… So I want the title of Hokage right now!” he practically snarls out. I want to say something, but I can see Naru does too, so I’ll let her speak first.

 

“Baaaka. Who’s going to recognize a gaki like you?” Naru asks, taking another sip from her half-forgotten can. I raise an eyebrow at her callousness. “It’s not a title that a kid can carry so easily.”

 

“Nani?!” Konohamaru exclaims, rising up from his seat and clenching a fist. I sip my can, watching the proceedings with interest.

 

“It’s not easy.” Naruko says, placing her can down on the grass by her feet. I can’t tell whether or not it’s empty, but that’s hardly the point, is it? “You keep saying ‘Hokage, Hokage’… If you want the title so badly…”

 

“Nandayo?!” the boy exclaims impatiently, bracing himself. If the movement of his jaw is to be judged, he’s either grinding or clenching his teeth. Naruko then turns to him with a near-feral grin.

 

“You’ll have to defeat me first!” she says in a low voice filled with determination. _More_ determination than her Naruto-henge ever had when speaking of the desire to become Hokage.

 

“Not to mention, a Hokage has guards. Meaning you’ll have to fight and defeat _me_ first, before you get a shot at Naruko.” I say with nonchalance, undermining the intensity between the two with the ease of mentioning the weather. Konohamaru did an about-face in startlement, while Naruko face planted the dirt, both with cries of surprise. I can’t help but snicker at their stunned faces. “What? Naruko, ye of little faith! I told you I’d be behind you every step of the way! So yeah, I’m going to be your personal guard! Or assistant! Or shadow! Or whatever!”

 

“ _I found you!_ ” a voice exclaims from above and behind, causing us to turn around. There, standing on a branch in the closest tree, is the glasses guy who followed Konohamaru to Sarutobi-JiiJii’s office earlier. Despite his sunglasses, his cold glare towards Naruko is quite noticeable. I can see her clench her fists and teeth as the Shinobi jumps down from his perch.

 

“Now, Omago-sama, let us go home.” The man says, direction his attention solely on Konohamaru.

 

“No!” the boy in question exclaims, shaking his head in denial. “I’m going to defeat Jii-san right now, and get the title of Hokage! Don’t bother me!” he shouts with a stomp of his foot.

 

“Hokage is a title you receive when you understand the principles of morality,” the man starts explaining, walking closer towards us as he does so. “knowledge, loyalty, getting along with family, and can use more than a thousand Jutsu!”

 

“Henge!” Konohamaru exclaims, causing the man to utter a curious sound and stop his advance. “Take that!” the boy says, as the smoke dissipates, winking at the Shinobi. “The Oiroke no Jutsu!” when all that happened, was the man’s face going shocked and a cry of outrage leaving his mouth, causing ‘Maru to release the Jutsu. “What? It didn’t work?”

 

“Wha-wha- _what a perverted Jutsu_!!!” the Shinobi exclaims. “I am a _gentleman_! I will never fall for a Jutsu as base as that!” he then made a grab for the boy’s blue scarf, with the boy in turn digging in his heels and resisting the pulling like an enraged bull. “Omago-sama, you’re only going to get dumber and dumber if you hang around with a guy like him! The quickest path to becoming Hokage is to listen to me!”

 

“Matte!” I exclaim, pissed at being dismissed, no, _ignored_ , as I give the Shinobi a glare. “ _If_ you truly are _the_ shortcut to being Hokage, then tell me… how many Kage have you thought and or trained?” I ask, crossing my arms with a sneer. In his surprise, the guy lets go of Konohamaru’s scarf, who then takes the opportunity to hide behind me. Feeling his tiny hands gripping the fabric of my shirt tightly fills me with an urge of protective ness, and I shuffle my feet a slight bit more apart.

 

“That is none of your business! Omago-sama, let’s go. These two aren’t worth our time.” The Shinobi exclaims as soon as he notices where the boy has gone.

 

“NO!” said boy exclaims loudly. I share a glance with Naruko, before we both bring our hands together into the Hitsuji seal.

 

 ** _“Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!”_** we exclaim, me producing two clones, and Naruko producing a couple dozen. Konohamaru lets out an amazed sound. The man scoffs.

 

“This is silly. I am an elite instructor. I am different from weaklings like Mizuki!” he says, walking forward calmly, entering our collection of Kage Bunshin.

 

“Oyabun, Nee-san…” Konohamaru mumbles behind me. The Shinobi takes a stance, but that’s as far as we’ll let him come.

 

 ** _“Henge!”_** we, and all our Kage Bunshin, exclaim. A ginormous smoke cloud obscures our view, before revealing a wide collection of attractive women in various states of undress. I spot an older me, an older Naruko, that lady from the market earlier, a couple women from the magazine, a couple women from the bathhouse, ‘Misao’ and many others. My own two clones took on the forms of Zakuro from Tokyo Mew Mew, and Erza from Fairy Tail, with myself having taken on the appearance of my older self.

 

 ** _“Shinobi-sama~”_** we all say seductively, while most of the clones swarm the man. The force of his ensuing nosebleed shoots him several dozen feet up and away, where he lands in a crumpled, twitching heap. Naruko and I release the Jutsu as soon as we realize that the annoyance of a man won’t be getting up anytime soon.

 

“Naruko…” I say, resting my chin on one hand, and grabbing that elbow with the other.

 

“Nanidesuka, nee-chan?” she asks me curiously, resting her hands on her hips.

 

“I do believe we just beat our own ‘launch bleed’ record.” I say, turning my face her way,  a vulpine grin on my face. In reply, all I receive is a happy laugh, and an equally wide smile.

 

“Our new Hāremu no Jutsu is just that powerful!” she says in-between her laughter, causing me to join in with a chuckle of my own.

 

* * *

  

**Sources;**

[ **http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130912073828/naruto/images/thumb/a/a7/Hand.png/500px-Hand.png** ](http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130912073828/naruto/images/thumb/a/a7/Hand.png/500px-Hand.png)

[ **http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia** ](http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia)

[ **https://translate.google.com/** ](https://translate.google.com/)

[ **http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_onee-san_and_nee-san** ](http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_onee-san_and_nee-san)

 

**Japanese Translations:**

**_Yarou                   – bastard_ **

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**_ANBU - Anbu Black Ops, Literally meaning: Dark Side; short for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai, Literally meaning: Special Assassination and Tactical Squad_ **

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**_Nii-san                – brother_ **

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**_Hitai-ate             - forehead protector_ **

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**_Henge no Jutsu – Transformation Technique_ **

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**_Tarra                    – please_ **

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**_Oiroke no Jutsu – Seduction Technique_ **

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**_Taijutsu               – hand to hand combat_ **

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**_Godaime Hokage – Fifth Fire Shadow_ **

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**_Itai                        – ouch, it hurts, etc_ **

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**_Daijoubudesuka – are you alright_ **

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**_Omago-sama   – honourable grandson_ **

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**_Kyuubi                 – nine tails_ **

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**_(kono) baka      – (you) idiot_ **

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**_Orra                      – hey_ **

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**_Hokage no Mago – Grandson of a Fire Shadow_ **

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**_Nani                     – what_ **

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**_Chibi Kage         – little shadow, (temporary) nickname given to Konohamaru_ **

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**_Ano                       –Google Translate said ‘that’, but Dragon believes it is more similar to ‘eh’ or ‘uhm’_ **

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**_Oyaji                    – old man_ **

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**_Oyabun               – boss_ **

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**_Gaki                      - brat_ **

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**_Megane kyoushi – glasses instructor_ **

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**_Kohai                   – opposite of sempai, which should mean upperclassmen_ **

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**_Ninjutsu              – ninja techniques_ **

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**_Chatora               – brown tiger, according to the subs_ **

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**_Shintai                 –Physical energy (_ ** **_身体エネルギー_ ** **_, shintai enerugī) is collected from each and every one of the body's cells and can be increased through training, stimulants, and exercise._ **

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**_Seishin                 –Spiritual energy (_ ** **_精神エネルギー_ ** **_, seishin enerugī, English TV: Mental Energy) is derived from the mind's consciousness and can be increased through studying, meditation, and experience._ **

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**_Hitsuji                  – ram_ **

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**_Daijoubu            - a more informal way of asking if someone is okay_ **

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**_Hai                        - yes, okay_ **

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**_Arigatou             - thank you_ **

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**_Nee-chan            - least formal way of addressing your sister, with the others being nee-san, nee-sama, onee-san and onee-sama, in order from least to most formal._ **

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**_Kunoichi             - female ninja_ **

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**_Iie                          - no_ **

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**_Hokage no Jii-san – Old Man Hokage_ **

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**_Jii-chan               - grandpa_ **

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**_Nandayo?!        - What is it?!_ **

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**_Shinobi                               - male ninja_ **

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**_Kage                     - Shadow, in this case used to refer to the leaders of the Hidden Villages_ **

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**_Kage Bunshin   - Shadow Clone_ **

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**_Nanidesuka?    - What is it?_ **

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**_Hāremu no Jutsu – Dragon hopes this one is self-explanatory..?_ **

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Kayia: +whistles+ “Dayum, Dragon. This thing is 13 pages long!”

 

Dragon: +groans+ “Dragon knoooows. It took Dragon _days_ to write it, if not _weeks_! And life kept getting in the waaay! Dragon is tired now…” +pouts+

 

Sasuke: +chucks a chocolate bar at Dragon+

 

Dragon: +catches the bar, noms it happily+

 

Kayia: +raises an eyebrow at the noirette+ “When did you get here, Uchiha-kun?”

 

Sasuke: +shrugs+ “Just passing through, I’m needed by another rabid  fan writer soon.”

 

Naru: +raises eyebrows+ “Wow, you actually answered instead of saying ‘Hng’ like you usually do!”

 

Sasuke: “Hng.” +leaves+

 

Naru: +sticks out tongue, knowing it won’t be seen+

 

Kayia: +chuckles+


	8. Sorry, Just An Author's Note

So... It's been 385 days since Dragon last updated... Dragon has to admit, in that time, few thoughts have been related to this story.

Reading back, it was kinda rushed, wasn't it?

Besides that, the original concept (Kayia as fourth Gennin on Team 7) has since been dropped and replaced for another (canon teams get mixed, giving Kayia an original team with all canon characters), which in turn has also been replaced (Kayia gets an original team filled with OCs).

So, Dragon is going to... change things. And maybe include a couple Academy chapters, rather than skip the Academy all together.  
Also, Dragon is considering of changing the Main Pairing. Not that Dragon has lost interest in Kashi, its just... other characters have presented themselves to give Kayia additional romance options, so the romance section will remain open when the new chapters get posted.

That being said, Dragon has decided to first start on mapping out a Jutsu plan for the future Team 11 (working title, team name subject to change) before beginning on revising the old story into something a bit more new. Also, no magical lack of a language barrier. That was kinda unrealistic of Dragon. As was the instant trust. They're _Ninja_ , paranoia, distrust, and wariness come with the job description.

Because of that the New!Story won't get posted for a while, but Dragon wanted to give a heads-up either way.  
The Old!Story will remain up indefinitely, with it being undecided whether or not to delete it when the New!Story is finished.

For now, Dragon thanks you for reading, subscribing, and/or Kudo'ing Kayia's Kunoichi Life, and wishes you all the best!


End file.
